1. a. Were BP’s protective provisions “wrong” as a matter of ethical business practice? Explain.
b. If you were a boss or lawyer at BP, would you have included those protective provisions? Explain.
2. In your personal life, do you think you have made agreements with friends that were “one-sided” and “unconscionable” because of your possession of superior leverage of some kind?
In May 2010, British Petroleum (BP) oil company was in the midst of frantic efforts to stop the oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from its doomed Macondo 252 well while also trying to clean up the immense quantity that escaped after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling vessel. “Several hundred” shrimpers, oyster harvesters, and others making their living from the Gulf signed contracts with BP to work as paid volunteers in the cleanup process.