Parties to the Agreement

First the translator (or their client) needs to decide how to handle 甲, 乙, and 丙, etc.

While often used in boilerplates, “Party A” and “Party B” should be avoided wherever possible.
In a long contract it can often be difficult to remember which party is A and which is B so if the name of the parties involved are known, then these should be your first choice.

Depending on the type of contract, Lessor – Lessee, Licensor – Licensee, Buyer – Seller, Company – Employee, etc. are also acceptable.

Only when the name of the party or their status in the contract is unknown and there is no other option available should you resort to Company A – Company B or First Party – Second Party.

I’ve noticed that some translators use block capitals letters for company names or the status of the parties involved.

This is not standard practice in English language contracts, is unnecessary, and should be avoided. Since the parties are defined terms however, using capitals for “Lender”, etc. is standard practice.

(Updated from an article published by Orian in August 2012)