AFA.01
Fixed fee per matter
One flat fee for a matter or a series of matters. The cost doesn't move with the hours.
Fig. 03Alternative fee agreements
Most firms bill by the hour. We tell you the cost up front.
We also offer fixed fees for business formations, fund and syndication formations, investments and M&A transactions, plus three other ways to agree the cost before the work starts.
01Why we offer them
The cost of the work, agreed in advance.
Hourly billing puts the risk of a long matter on the client. Every call and every email adds to the bill, and nobody knows the total until the end.
An alternative fee agreement (AFA) changes that. You know what the work will cost, or the most it can cost, before it begins. We can offer this because we're confident we can deliver at a cost that makes sense.
If you'd rather be billed by the hour, that's fine too.
02The five optionsFig. 03A
Five ways to agree the fee.
Your costHourly, for reference
AFA.02
Fixed fee per stage
A flat fee for each stage of a matter. You know the cost of the next stage before you decide to go ahead with it.
AFA.03
Fee cap
Hourly billing, never above the agreed cap. If the matter takes less time, you pay less. If it takes more, the cap holds.
AFA.04
Success-based fee
You pay at closing only if the deal succeeds. We define "success" together, in advance.
AFA.05
Value-based fee
We agree in writing on the value of the representation before work starts. The flat fee reflects that value.
Fig. 03A Fee arrangements, cost over timeIllustrative, not to scale
03How AFAs benefit clientsB.01 to B.03
Three things change when the fee is agreed up front.
B.01
Predictable costs
You know what the matter will cost before it starts, so you can budget for it.
B.02
Simpler reporting
A known fee is easier to report to your board and your investors than an open-ended hourly bill.
B.03
Fewer fee disputes
Agreeing the fee in advance removes the most common source of fee disputes.
04Contact
Ask us which arrangement fits your matter.
Tell us about the deal and we'll suggest a fee structure, or quote it hourly if you prefer.
Contact →