Counsel
How we advise
Principles of counsel, confidentiality, scope clarity, communication and referral — not a directory of individual biographies.
Advisory work succeeds when expectations are aligned early. We start from your practical objective, identify what law and documentation must address, and say plainly when a matter sits outside our fields or requires specialist counsel. That directness is kinder than accepting instructions we cannot execute well.
Updates are written in plain language. Board members, founders and HR leads should understand our memoranda without a glossary. Where technical terms are necessary, we define them once and use them consistently.
Confidentiality and privilege
Client information is handled on a need-to-know basis within the firm. Before an engagement is confirmed, please limit sensitive disclosures to what is necessary for us to assess fit. Once we act, confidentiality and legal professional privilege are addressed in the engagement letter and observed in practice.
We do not discuss one client's affairs with another. We do not use client documents as marketing material. If you require specific data-handling arrangements — secure transfer methods, named recipients only — note them at the outset so we can accommodate or explain constraints.
Three principles
Scope before speed
We confirm what we will deliver before substantive work begins. Rush requests are accommodated when capacity allows, but not at the expense of a written scope you can rely on.
Plain language, careful records
Advice is documented so you can share it internally. We date our work, version drafts clearly, and summarise open points rather than burying them in footnotes.
Refer when referral serves you
If litigation counsel, niche regulatory experts or conflicted situations require another firm, we say so early. Referral is professional judgment, not a failure of interest.
Communication and conflicts
Each engagement names a primary contact on our side and expects a counterpart on yours. Email is the default channel for document exchange; meetings are arranged when conversation will move matters faster than markup alone. We do not guarantee instantaneous replies — complex questions receive considered answers.
Conflict checks run before we accept instructions. If a prior relationship prevents us from acting, we decline promptly and explain why at a high level. We do not represent opposing parties in the same matter. Where companies in the same group require separate advice, we structure engagements to keep roles clear.
When specialists outside the firm are needed — forensic accountants, translators, overseas counsel — we coordinate introductions only with your consent and separate scope.
We summarise calls in writing when decisions are taken on the call, so internal forwarding does not lose nuance. If you prefer a standing weekly note instead of ad hoc emails, say so in the engagement letter and we align format and length to what your board or HR team actually reads.
Language on the phone is still plain — we avoid performing complexity to impress. The same standard applies whether the audience is a founder, a general counsel, or an operations lead seeing a contract for the first time.
When we refer matters out
Referral is part of competent counsel. Litigation in court as primary advocate, niche regulatory areas where deep specialist accreditation matters, and situations where our prior relationships create conflict — each is a reason we may decline or suggest another firm. We explain the reason at a high level without naming other clients.
Referral is not abandonment: where we can, we help you prepare a coherent brief for the next lawyer and transfer documents in an orderly index. We do not receive referral fees from other firms unless disclosed and agreed with you in writing — default is no fee sharing.
Counsel is a relationship of trust built through clarity. If our working style does not suit your organisation, we prefer to discover that in a scope conversation rather than mid-project.
Telok Ayer · by appointment