As compliance priorities shift across federal, state and international regimes, companies are relying more heavily on carefully drafted contracts to maintain continuity and allocate growing compliance risks. While boilerplate representations and warranties may suffice for routine transactions, higher-risk deals often require tailored provisions that reflect deliberate risk-management choices. This first article in a series on compliance representations and warranties provides key definitions and looks at why these contract provisions still matter, how they became outdated and what they reveal about corporate culture. Subsequent installations will cover negotiation strategies, how companies can verify compliance with contract provisions and enforce rights in the event of a breach, and how compliance representations and warranties evolve as risks shift. See “Negotiating Reps, Warranties and Remedies in Technology Contracts” (May 19, 2021).