These terms of engagement are a general framework for providing Our Best Value to you. We are excited that you have selected us to provide legal services subject to the Terms and any specific engagement letter.
You know that we are committed to assisting you in realizing your goals. Our Best value is to professionally and competently deliver personalized and dedicated legal and business solutions to you.
The word “we” or “us” refers to SRJ, while the “Terms” refers to these terms and conditions.
TEAM COMPOSITION AND CLIENT ENGAGEMENT
- Our team members have relevant skills and experience. The named team in your specific engagement letter coordinates and enjoys overall responsibility for your instructions.
- Of course, every other member of SRJ and resources will be available or utilized from time to time or as may be required.
ASSUMPTIONS
Our fees may be based on the assumption that:
- scope of any instructions will not change materially during and in the course of instruction;
- we will be prosecuting your engagement, and you will have access to a multiple of our members;
- any review sessions may be held virtually or in-person;
- Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as far as possible, meetings will be held virtually, and communication and exchange of documentation will be by telephone and email or delivery of physical copies where applicable; and
- our fees are exclusive of your personnel’s travel expenses arising from the instructions.
You will let us know if our assumptions are incorrect or if you obtain more information during any instructions. Or if any assumptions prove incorrect at any material time in the future. We will immediately inform you if any of the above premises have been breached.
VALUE-ADDED TAX
VAT at the rate of 7.5% of our professional fees may be added to our invoice where applicable.
BILLING
We will issue an invoice based on any agreed fee model terms. We will not receive payments on your behalf unless you specifically request us to. You consent and authorize us to deduct our fees before transferring any such benefits to you in such an event.
PAYMENT POLICY
- You are to pay our invoice within 15 (fifteen) days after receiving benefits from the other party whether or not we issue an invoice to you and in any such payment currency. Please let us know as early as practicable if you anticipate that our payment will, for any reason, be delayed.
- Suppose you have not agreed with us on any alternative arrangements. Suppose an invoice remains outstanding more than 20 days after it is issued. We reserve a right to charge interest on the overdue amount (including VAT, where applicable) from the date of our invoice at the prevailing monetary policy rate plus 1.5% (one decimal point five per cent).
OTHER MATTERS
- You or your successors-in-title or assigns are our sole client in the Terms. We do not represent and will not be deemed to have any relationship with other people. We have made this distinction so that it is understood to whom our various duties are owed.
- We owe you those duties set out in the Terms and under the Nigerian legislation, especially the legal practitioners’ rule of professional conduct (the “Ethics Book”), but not to any other persons.
KEEPING YOU INFORMED
It is essential to provide you with as much information as possible throughout the period in which we are acting for you. You may have regular discussions with our members working on your instructions. On our part, we will let you know if there will be any personnel changes. Keep you updated on our progress. I will advise you of any potential problems or delays and inform you about accrued fees and costs incurred.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND DISCLOSURE
- Our members are legal practitioners bound by the Ethics Book to maintain strict confidentiality regarding matters we handle on your behalf. Each of our members is tied to a confidentiality agreement of an authoritarian regime.
- Exceptions to our confidentiality obligation are where you authorize us to disclose information. We must reveal under applicable laws or where the data is already within the public domain.
- SRJ reserves the right to disclose any information, where applicable, to our professional indemnity insurers, advisers, or bankers in connection with the operation of our client account.
- We to take your initial instructions as authority to name you as our client. The fact we have acted for you on any issue where information about that matter is in the public domain. We may call you or use your logo and indicate the general nature of such advice and any details that have correctly entered the public domain.
- Where a matter is not in the public domain, we will only disclose that you are our client if you consent to such disclosure.
PERSONAL DATA
During the instructions, we will have access to your personal data (including names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, etc.). You consent to keep and lawfully process your personal data to execute the instructions and for such a period until the consent is withdrawn. Our use of your personal data is subject to our data protection policy at Data Protection Policy – SRJ (srjlegal.com)
OWNERSHIP OF UNDERLYING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT
We both enjoy intellectual property rights to any works we develop regarding instructions, including underlying intellectual property rights on derivative works. Unless otherwise agreed. We will, of course, protect any confidential information.
GENERAL
Conflicts between the Terms and other specific written agreements will be resolved in favour of the particularly written agreements. The Terms are deemed executed when you execute or consent to any specific written agreement. Signing or execution may be electronically and in counterparts