Our Fees
Proelium Law LLP | The UK’s foremost legal authority on high-risk jurisdictions and specialist risk services
We often hear that people do not like the way that law firms charge their clients. We also know that law firms can sometimes take a lot while giving the bare minimum back. In this, as well as other areas, Proelium Law LLP chooses to be different. We take a non-traditional approach to costs and pricing and this page provides more information on how we view the subject.
Our pricing policy concerns more than just the cash-value of the service. Proelium Law LLP goes to great lengths to show value and additional benefits as part of its offering.
How does Proelium Law LLP Add Value?
- Proelium Law LLP is a small and lean operation, allowing overheads to be kept to a minimum with the resultant savings being passed on to clients;
- The core of our team are acknowledged leaders in their respective areas of law in respect of defence, security, tech, data and cyber matters;
- As a law firm we stand by our findings – we don’t hide behind disclaimers on the quality of our work;
- Client/solicitor legal privilege can be invoked where appropriate, providing protection to communications where appropriate;
- Proelium Law LLP has an expansive global network of associates drawn from the specialist agencies, the legal profession, special operations forces and law-enforcement professionals of the UK and other countries;
- Reports are researched and compiled using a combination of legal insight with international evidence gathering expertise and geo-political understanding;
- For any legal matter, Proelium Law LLP is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (‘SRA’);
- Our activities are wholly governed by applicable laws and are of a high ethical standard;
- Routine communications between Proelium Law LLP and its clients are swift, reliable and secure;
- Based in the City, Proelium Law LLP is accessible for face-to-face meetings with clients based in London. Equally we will travel to you anywhere in the world as convenient, including conflict zones;
- We communicate with clear, jargon-free English;
- Payment terms can be negotiated on a case by case basis;
- Payment can be made in $USD, €Euro or £GBP;
- Services are provided with the Proelium Law LLP Guarantee;
- Because we value our clients so highly, a partner of Proelium Law LLP is available 24/7;
- Proelium Law LLP prefers to keep costs transparent, always favouring a fixed-fee approach in contrast to the billable-hours policy favoured by other law firms;
- Proelium Law LLP adopts a phased approach to complex matters, ensuring that clients are in control of the cost and expectations are not abused at any stage;
- Proelium Law LLP prioritises client relationships highly, always seeking a partnering approach to issues;
- As a law firm we operates a tightly controlled Client Account to keep client monies safe.
GUARANTEES
Although we can’t guarantee the outcome of a legal case or an investigation, we do guarantee the quality of our work. Indeed we are confident enough to say that if we are not satisfied that we have achieved your expected outcomes, we will not charge.
Furthermore, guarantees to our clients are implicit in our regulation by the Law Society via the Solicitors Regualtion Authority and by the partners’ professional status (qualified solicitors and barristers).
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
Proelium Law LLP takes complaints extremely seriously and will expend significant energies on investigating and resolving them. Our complaints procedure can be found here and is also linked at the bottom of each page of our website.
TERMS
Aimed principally at SMEs, Proelium Law LLP offers arrangements that make payment for its services as affordable as possible. This can mean payment being made over a period of months or payment being deferred for a period of time. Please ask us for more details.
OUR FEES
We prefer to cost each matter individually often providing clients with a fixed-fee against which they can budget. We also offer hourly and monthly fixed fees over a protracted period (for clients intending to use our servcies regualrly). We are mindful that research by the Legal Services Board identified that law firms who adopted a fixed-fee approach tended to offer the lowest prices on average.
Hourly fees.
Our hourly rates are below and on request we can also quote for daily rates. Our current hourly rates for legal work as (as at 1 December 2023), are:
Partner (Solicitor/Barrister) £475 + VAT.
Senior Solicitor / Chartered Legal Executive £325 + VAT
Solicitor £285 + VAT.
Paralegal / Trainee Solicitor £195 + VAT.
Travel, where required we usually charge at 50% + VAT per hour of the fee earner travelling plus actual costs.
Fixed Fees
We can agree to put in place a fixed fee for a particular piece of work in advance; therefore, capping the cost at that fee regardless of the number of hours that may be expended. This may be to either of our advantages: i.e., the number of hours may be in excess of what was originally estimated but that would not impact the invoiced fee; or the hours may be slightly fewer than anticipated, and again the invoiced fee would remain the same. We aim to calculate fixed fees by using the hourly rate and then discounting this rate accordingly.
Set Monthly Fee
For clients who use our services regularly we significantly discount the standard hourly rates to reflect the regularity of the instructions and the closer working relationship. We would record accurately our time spent during the initial (usually 3 month) period and compare the time spent to what would have been invoiced had we been instructed at an hourly rate. Thereafter, we hold a review meeting with the client to revise the monthly fee up or down depending on the level of work undertaken in the first 3 months. Experience suggests this approach works best for the clients, and fees balance out over a longer period. There are quieter months and there are much busier months. The fee does not cover costs such as disbursements, which means fixed costs such as filing matters at court, it only covers our time spent working for you.
Disbursements, regardless of which fee option you choose, are costs we incur in the course of assisting you such as court or notary fees, barristers fees, medcial reports etc and are charged on the basis of what they cost us. We do not add on to the cost of a disbursement.
Consultancy or investigations are costed on a case-by-case basis.
Employment Tribunals
Our fees for defending claims brought against your business for unfair and wrongful dismissal are based on three bands, which we will be happy to discuss with you.
We will advise you of the funding options available to you, for example, using any commercial legal expenses insurance your business is covered by.
Every case is different; there are different issues in each case. A case can be heard over one day but depending on the issues in the case and the number of witnesses; a case can be heard over a week or longer in more complex cases. Shorter simple cases will naturally be less expensive than longer more complex cases.
Simple case defined as: One day hearing with two witnesses attending:
Our fees £5,000 – £12,000 plus VAT
Barristers’ fees – £1,500 – £5,000 plus VAT
Medium complex case defined as: Two Day hearing and more than two witnesses:
Our fees £12,000 – £25,000 plus VAT
Barristers Fees – £5,000 for day one plus £1,500 – £2,000 for each additional day plus VAT
High complex case defined as: Three or more days hearing and more than two witnesses:
Our fees £20,000 – £45,000 plus VAT
Barristers Fees – £7,500 for day one and £1,500 to £2,000 for each additional day plus VAT.
The information on costs is an estimate of our charges and they are not fixed fees. We assess each case on its own facts and will give a concise estimate for work to be carried out on your behalf. Costs information provided here is for guidance purposes only and is not indicative of costs in all similar claims before an Employment Tribunal which depends on the facts of the case, nor does it create any binding costs estimate on the firm.
Costs will vary depending on the details of each case, and once we assess your case, we provide you with more concise estimates for work. You may have legal expenses insurance cover for the costs of an Employment Tribunal claim.
If your claim were to be settled at any time during the proceedings, this would affect the overall cost to you.
The work that is included in our fee:
- Review and advise on the Employment Tribunal application form
- Drafting and filing a Response form with the Employment Tribunal
- Preliminary Hearing (Case Management)
- Reviewing Employee’s Schedule of Loss
- Preparing a List and bundle of documents and disclosing to Employee
- Review documents received from the Employee
- Drafting and finalising witness statements
- Preparing or finalising a bundle of documents for use in the Tribunal hearing with the Employee
- Instructing a Barrister to represent you in a final hearing at the Employment Tribunal
- Dealing with you, the Employment Tribunal, the Employee or their representative and ACAS throughout the matter.
The work that is not included in our fee:
- Initial advice, review of merits of claim
- Pre action negotiation with Employee
- ACAS Early Conciliation
- Remedy Hearing (if not dealt with in the Final Hearing)
- Interim applications/Preliminary Hearings which arise during the course of the claim either made by you or the Employee or ordered by the Employment Tribunal
- Re-listing of hearing and work related to a new hearing if a final hearing is postponed by the Employment Tribunal, you or the Employee
- Advising on or dealing with an appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (made by you or the Employee)
- A second hearing if the first hearing is not completed within the time given by the Tribunal when the parties have to return to the Tribunal to complete the hearing
- Discrimination claims or claims other than unfair dismissal/wrongful dismissal.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Counsel’s (barristers) fees estimated in the table above (depending on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).
Exclusions & factors which may make a case more complex
- Multiple day hearings (more than one day)
- Multiple witnesses
- Unexpected applications made by either party during the course of the claim e.g. an application to strike out, an application for costs or application for adjournment of a hearing
- Hearing is postponed and re-listed at the request of you, the Employee or by the Employment Tribunal
- Multiple claims for example: an unfair dismissal, sex/race or disability discrimination or breach of contract all brought at the same time
- The hearing is not completed within the timeframe given by the Employment Tribunal and the parties have to return to the Tribunal for a further hearing
- Barristers’ fees for advice or representation in the Employment Tribunal will be in addition to our fees.
Timescales
A one-day Employment Tribunal claim could take 6-12 months from the issue of the claim to a final hearing and is entirely subject to when an Employment Tribunal can hear the case. In the London regions, cases can take at least six months to be listed for hearing.
Other Employment Tribunal regions may vary.
