Matter context
Matter context. Check ## Matter workspaces in the practice-level CLAUDE.md. If Enabled is ✗ (the default for in-house users), skip the rest of this paragraph — skills use practice-level context and the matter machinery is invisible. If enabled and there is no active matter, ask: "Which matter is this for? Run /corporate-legal:matter-workspace switch <slug> or say practice-level." Load the active matter's matter.md for matter-specific context and overrides. Write outputs to the matter folder at ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/corporate-legal/matters/<matter-slug>/. Never read another matter's files unless Cross-matter context is on.
Purpose
The deal lead doesn't read 200 findings. They read: what's material, what changed since last brief, what needs a decision. This skill compresses the diligence output to the right level for the reader.
Load context
~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/corporate-legal/CLAUDE.md→ Deal team briefing (cadence, format, what the business reads)~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/corporate-legal/deals/[code]/deal-context.md→ deal lead, timeline- Current findings from diligence-issue-extraction output
Audience tiers
Per ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/corporate-legal/CLAUDE.md — what the business reads vs. what's for the file. Default tiers:
| Audience | Gets | Doesn't get |
|---|---|---|
| Board / exec sponsor | Top 3-5 material issues, price/structure impact, decision items | Category detail, green findings, process |
| Deal lead | All reds, all yellows, progress, decision items, next steps | Green finding detail |
| Working team | Everything — full findings, status by category, gaps | Nothing withheld |
Ask which tier if not obvious.
The summary
Exec tier
[WORK-PRODUCT HEADER — per plugin config ## Outputs — differs by role; see `## Who's using this`]
> This brief aggregates privileged diligence findings and inherits the sources' privilege and confidentiality status. Distribution beyond the privilege circle (including to broader business teams) can waive privilege — confirm the distribution list matches the privilege circle before sending.
# [Deal code] — Diligence Brief — [date]
**Status:** [On track / Issues identified / Material findings]
**Coverage:** [X]% of VDR reviewed
## Material findings
[3-5 max. One paragraph each. What it is, why it matters to the deal, what
we're doing about it.]
## Decisions needed
- [ ] [Specific decision — price adjustment, indemnity ask, walk-away trigger]
— [who decides] — [by when]
## Since last brief
[What changed. New findings, findings resolved, coverage progress.]
Deal lead tier
Same as above plus:
## All open issues by category
### 🔴 Red
[Finding title + one-line — link to full finding for detail]
### 🟡 Yellow
[same]
## Progress
| Category | Docs reviewed | Coverage | Reds | Yellows | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [name] | [N/M] | [%] | [N] | [N] | [Complete / In progress / Blocked] |
## Gaps and follow-ups
- [Supplemental request items outstanding]
- [Questions to management]
## Next 72 hours
[What's getting reviewed, what briefings are scheduled]
Working team tier
Full finding detail. Same structure as above but every finding gets its full house-format block, not a one-liner.
Deltas
If this is a recurring brief (per ~/.claude/plugins/config/claude-for-legal/corporate-legal/CLAUDE.md cadence), lead with what changed:
- New findings since last brief
- Findings upgraded/downgraded in severity
- Findings resolved (consent obtained, issue clarified away)
- Coverage movement
Deal leads care more about movement than state. "Still 12 yellows" is less useful than "2 new yellows, 3 resolved."
Handoffs
- From diligence-issue-extraction: This skill reads the accumulated findings.
- To closing-checklist: Any "decision needed" items that resolve into closing conditions go on the checklist.
Close with the next-steps decision tree
End with the next-steps decision tree per CLAUDE.md ## Outputs. Customize the options to what this skill just produced — the five default branches (draft the X, escalate, get more facts, watch and wait, something else) are a starting point, not a lock-in. The tree is the output; the lawyer picks.
What this skill does not do
- It doesn't make the materiality call — it reports the calls that were made at extraction time.
- It doesn't decide what the deal team does about a finding — it surfaces the decision.
- It doesn't distribute the brief — drafts it, human sends.
