Court proceedings, mediation, arbitration, binding opinion, they all have one thing in common: they are models to resolve conflicts. Often counselled by attorneys, the parties are in opposite corners, seeking a solution or an opinion on their disputes. Who will win, who will lose? In this encounter the attorneys are partial, by definition. So are we, if you have us in your corner. And we’re pretty good, if we say so ourselves.
But OneDayDeal is not about conflicts.
Quite the contrary.
Clients sometimes don’t know WHAT they agreed, or WHY. It sometimes becomes painfully clear that they signed for terms that they didn’t even know applied. Agreements can be shockingly unbalanced or unfair. Negotiations do not always proceed efficiently and reasonably if each party brings its own attorney or advisor. The parties entrench themselves. Exchanging numerous drafts, advisors want to score, and try every trick from the book.
Legal expenses can go through the roof, with endless discussions over the parties’ heads. And any agreement reached is not exactly user-friendly, most of the times. A frequently heard comment is:
‘You only sign a contract in case things go south. The thing ends up in a drawer, and only comes out when a conflict arises. Only then will we actually read the text to see what exactly we agreed.’
There’s another way. Trust us. One that’s much faster and much cheaper. One that prevents conflicts. And one that we have put to the test many times.
This method works for cooperation agreements, joint ventures, takeovers, shareholders agreements. But also for suppliers’ contracts. Even for terms of employment for new directors, rental agreements and ICT projects. In fact, it works whenever the parties’ interests still run more or less parallel but the parties still have to record their understanding in writing. As long as there is no dispute (yet), the parties seek to obtain the same goals and are willing to communicate openly and honestly. We can help, from Day One.
How? It’s easier than you would think.
With the OneDayDeal we serve both parties. Not as a referee, but as an advisor. As an impartial advisor we help both parties reach their goals. It’s like two parties hiring one and the same attorney.
As the parties’ attorney we get cracking to realize the parties’ joint goal. If they no longer have a joint goal or that goal has proven unattainable, the OneDayDeal services will stop immediately. Dispute resolution is not part of the OneDayDeal. Our job is to assess and advise, not to pass judgment.
We try to settle within One Day. That calls for smart and thorough preparation. We agree on a price in advance, ask for all particulars, using to-the-point questionnaires. Once we have all the information we need, we start on Day One. All parties must be present. By the end of the day there should be a first draft that is acceptable to all parties. In plain language that all parties understand. After all, that draft contains their agreement. The joint goal decides whether there will be a follow-up. But in the end, it is up to you. Do you want to sign, do you need a second opinion, or do you need extra time to dot the i’s and cross the t’s? You decide.
OneDayDeal is subject to specific rules.
Interested? Call or email Vincent Breedveld: +31 6 5384 9319 or breedveld@dayonelegal.nl