Law360, New York (December 20, 2013, 5:25 PM EST) -- Among the many legalese-heavy paragraphs appearing under the "Miscellaneous" heading at the back of transaction agreements is a section that stipulates the laws of the state that will govern the purchase agreement as well as disputes relating to the deal. Often, it is coupled with a section that dictates which courts have jurisdiction over these disputes. While the state of incorporation or headquarters of one or both parties is sometimes selected, anecdotal as well as empirical evidence suggests that a healthy majority of larger transactions choose Delaware or New York law. Reasons cited include the significant number of companies incorporated in Delaware, the well developed and therefore more predictable legal framework in these jurisdictions, the sophistication of the judiciary in these states, the perception of these being "neutral" jurisdictions in cases where each party might otherwise favor a "home" state, and the desired alignment with the governing law of related financing documents (usually New York)....