A contract decides what happens,
when things go wrong.

Frequently asked questions about working together.

How do we start?

With a conversation that is free of charge and without obligation. You describe your matter, I tell you whether I am the right person and how I proceed.

How does the engagement come about?

You receive my offer by email, together with the engagement agreement, the fee agreement, and the information required by law. The engagement begins once both come back signed, and with it the binding advice you are charged for.

What does it cost to review, draft, or negotiate a contract?

For a defined assignment I charge a fixed price, and it stands before the work starts. Where the scope cannot be defined up front, I bill at an hourly rate. Why the fixed fee is the rule is set out in the article “The billable hour is out of time”.

Do you review a finished draft, or draft the contract?

Both, depending on who holds the pen. Where the other side’s draft is on the table, you get my changes as clause text, not as a list of concerns.

Do you negotiate with the counterparty?

On request, yes, in German and English. Whether I sit at the table or prepare you in the background is your call.

Does this cover contracts under foreign law?

As far as competence and insurance reach, yes; my professional liability insurance covers the European area including Turkey (Legal notice). Beyond that I recommend local counsel and, on request, handle the communication with them.

What happens if it turns into a dispute?

Then I run it, before the courts and in arbitration, or I point you to a firm that fits those proceedings better. I sit as an arbitrator in DIS proceedings myself, so I know how a clause reads once someone has to construe it.

We have our own legal department. What do we need you for?

For the points where specialization decides the outcome: CISG, Incoterms, the law governing Standard Terms, choice-of-law and forum-selection clauses across borders. If the logic should stay with you afterward rather than in one person’s head: Knowledge management.

We already work with a law firm. Why add another lawyer?

For the specialization. I have worked on international supply and distribution contracts and on Standard Terms since 2007; behind that stand two specialist titles, a seat on the ICC Commission on Commercial Law and Practice, and registration as one of two ICC trainers for Incoterms 2020 in Germany. Whether your case falls into that field is for me to tell you in the first conversation, not for you to work out.