Match credentials to the exact work
A license or credential does not mean every professional has experience with the transaction, jurisdiction, industry, or required filing.
AI KNOWLEDGE · PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Professional advisers
Select lawyers, CPAs, tax professionals, and compliance advisers by matching credentials, jurisdiction, scope, conflicts, fees, and responsibility.
Core knowledge
Use a written engagement scope
Define deliverables, deadlines, responsible personnel, assumptions, excluded work, document custody, fees, termination, and dispute handling.
Separate independent review from sales
An adviser paid to promote or close a transaction may have conflicts. Independent verification should have a clear client and duty.
What to verify
- Verify current license, disciplinary history, representation rights, and geographic authority using the relevant official registry.
- Ask who will perform the work, whether it will be subcontracted, and how confidential information will be protected.
- Require disclosure of referral fees, commissions, investment interests, prior relationships, and other conflicts.
Common traps to avoid
Credential without relevant expertise
Confirm recent experience with the same transaction type and jurisdiction rather than relying only on a general title.
Vague or open-ended fees
Clarify hourly rates, retainers, success fees, expenses, change orders, and what happens if the project stops.
Adviser controls money or signatures unnecessarily
Do not give broad payment authority, blank signatures, or original records unless required, documented, and independently verified.