Comma before "Including"

[Allen165]

"Our client handed over a copy of your reply of June 1, 2011, and a copy of the contract including Annexes 1 and 2."

The annexes are part of the contract.

Sometimes, whether one puts a comma before "including" or not can affect the meaning of the sentence. In the above sentence, though, I can't make out a difference in meaning; in other words, I don't think it matters whether there's a comma or not, even though I'd prefer to use one.

What do you think?

Thanks!

 

[Allen165]

Now that I've thought about it a bit more, I think that not putting a comma after "contract" might imply the annexes are not part of the contract. But I'm really not sure.

 

[Raymott]

Now that I've thought about it a bit more, I think that not putting a comma after "contract" might imply the annexes are not part of the contract. But I'm really not sure.

Use a comma. Otherwise you could mean that the client gave you a copy of "the contract including Annexes 1 and 2." rather than a copy of another contract.
That is, "Which contract did they send?" - "The contract including Annexes 1 and 2"

"Including" doesn't and can't mean "and" or "as well as", so the comma doesn't make a difference in that respect. If the annexes are not part of the contract, you cannot say, "They sent a copy of the contract including annexes 1 and 2", irrespective of whether you include a comma.