Legal services

Legal services

We shall provide Legal Services on the following terms:

• you should, unless otherwise agreed, provide initial instructions in writing. It is vital that you provide us with all relevant information (including electronically held information) and documents and indicate any gaps and keep us informed of any material changes in your instructions, knowledge or circumstances or any matter having a bearing on the matter;
• we shall not do anything or be required to do anything which in our opinion may conflict with the laws and regulations of the Relevant Jurisdictions or the terms of any permits, consents, licences or applicable codes of practice made thereunder by any competent authority in any of these jurisdictions nor shall we be required to do anything which may give rise to any risk of criminal or civil liability or prosecution in any part of the world;
• save as expressly agreed in advance in separate and specific instructions, we are not and do not hold ourselves out as being experts in or have knowledge of the laws or regulations of any jurisdiction other than the Relevant Jurisdictions;
• we shall keep confidential all information and documents concerning the business in respect of which we are requested to provide Legal Services and any transaction or matter involving you unless:
  • we are required to disclose information under the laws and regulations of any of the Relevant Jurisdictions, or by order of the courts of any of these jurisdictions or any other courts of competent jurisdiction or the failure to make such disclosure would, in our opinion, be prejudicial to us, our staff or any agents; or
  • we are authorised to disclose any information by you; or
  • where we are working with other advisers on your behalf, unless you expressly otherwise instruct us, we will disclose such information to them in furtherance of the provision of Legal Services as in our view is appropriate; or
  • the information concerned is already in the public domain; or
  • it is necessary or desirable to disclose the same to any partnership within Bedell Cristin, or any of its subsidiary or associated companies; or
  • it is necessary or desirable to disclose the same to defend any claim against us; or
  • it is necessary or desirable to disclose such information to any auditor or legal adviser of ours;

accordingly, you waive your rights to privilege in respect of any disclosure of information as set out above;

• we shall not be required or under a duty to disclose to you any information we may have or be deemed to have about any matter affecting you which we may have acquired in the course of acting for or providing services to any other client in any way other;
• notwithstanding our duties and responsibilities in relation to the Legal Services, you shall retain responsibility and accountability for:
  • the management, conduct and operation of your business and your affairs;
  • deciding on your use of, choosing to what extent you wish to rely on, or implementing advice or recommendations or other products of the Legal Services supplied by us;
  • making any decision affecting the Legal Services, your interests and your affairs;
  • the delivery, achievement or realisation of any benefits directly or indirectly related to the Legal Services which require implementation by you;
• we may rely on any instructions or requests made or notices given or information supplied, whether orally or in writing, by any person whom we know to be or reasonably believe to be authorised by you to  communicate with us for such purposes. We may receive information from you or from other sources in the course of delivering the Legal Services;
• any product of the Legal Services released to you in any form or medium shall be supplied by us on the basis that it is for your benefit and information only; and
• in the event of a seriously disruptive event occurring at any of the offices of Bedell Cristin, we shall endeavour to restore our Legal Services as soon as practicable. We cannot accept responsibility for any delay caused by such disruption or for any other consequences beyond our reasonable control.

Index:

Interpretation 
Objectives
Fee earners responsible for your work
Joint clients
Litigious or contentious matters
Professional undertakings
Powers of attorney
Fees
Billing policy
Payment terms
Client monies
Tax on interest
Commissions
Communications
Electronic communications
Waiver and assignment
Storage of data, files and papers
Data protection and registration
Client due diligence and anti-money laundering procedures
Variation and publication of these Terms of Business
Regulated Services
Third party advisers
Bedell Cristin partnerships
Working for other clients
Termination of instructions
Questions or complaints
Liabilities
Enforceability
Governing law