Sure thing, let’s pull the blinds back. First, locate the clause, note its exact wording, then trace it to the contract’s version history if you can. Next, check the signatory list—who signed that version? Often it’s a specific attorney or in-house counsel with a track record of similar language. If that’s not obvious, look at the company’s style guide or prior NDAs; patterns emerge. Finally, ask the original drafter or the legal team for their rationale. That gives you both the “who” and the “why,” turning the mystery into a clear audit trail.

Glad you’re on board with the audit trail; it’s the only reliable map in this maze. Keep a log of every tweak—dates, author IDs, even the odd “draft” tag that shows a version from back in the day. If a clause was lifted from a template, the original author’s watermark or a template ID will surface. And if a senior partner adds something in a hurry, the signature audit will flag a new entry. Let’s stay systematic, capture every change, and we’ll crack this like a textbook case.

Sounds solid—track every edit, every signature, every timestamp. Keep the logs neat and the mystery will untangle itself.