Contracts entered into by sophisticated parties. And penalties and mechanisms built in to enforce them. Is forcing the other side to use those mechanisms unethical? Many in the business world view breach and the associated penalties as just one of the options that the parties agreed to when entering the contract and not unethical. Breaking a contract is almost never illegal in the criminal sense. I would say in my personal life I try live by the contracts I sign and not breach them. but as an attorney I have had times where I advise my clients it may be in their best interest to break a contract and live with the penalties that are built into the contract