Legal Check-up
Understand your business. Put priorities in order.
A contract used for years, an unchecked guarantee, a routine employment practice: legal problems often take shape before anyone recognises them. Legal Check-up helps establish the business’s position and decide where to act, when and for what purpose.
What we review
Legal Check-up connects the business’s documents, organisation and decisions. The scope is agreed according to its sector, size, significant relationships and current projects. Checking that a document exists is not enough: we need to understand whether it is used, by whom and with what consequences.
The initial discussion also separates known urgent matters, preventive work and issues requiring specialist input. The thirteen areas provide a working framework. The review of each area is tailored to the agreed scope; it is not presented as a general certification of compliance.
The thirteen areas of the Legal Map
1. Corporate matters and governance. Articles of association, ownership, governing bodies, delegated powers, powers of attorney, shareholders’ agreements and decision-making. We examine the relationship between formal authority and decisions in practice.
2. Contracts. Customer and supplier relationships, templates in use, standard terms, payments, guarantees, liability and termination.
3. Employment and working relationships. Staffing, contracts, duties, incentives, confidentiality and procedures, coordinating the review with the business’s employment adviser.
4. Receivables. Evidence of performance, overdue payments, disputes, reminders, security and the criteria for choosing how to recover debts.
5. Insurance. Cover, exclusions, deductibles, notification duties and the relationship between business risks and the policies actually in place.
6. Trade marks and intellectual property. Ownership and use of distinctive signs, registrations, licences and contracts concerning other intangible assets.
7. Privacy and digital matters. Data processing, IT suppliers, software, contractual safeguards and the use of artificial intelligence tools.
8. Compliance. Applicable internal rules, responsibilities, delegated powers and procedures; assessment of corporate liability under Italian Legislative Decree 231/2001 and whistleblowing in the business’s actual circumstances.
9. Financing and guarantees. Banking agreements, leasing, suretyships, security over assets or personal guarantees, commitments and conditions requiring attention.
10. Administrative and regulatory matters. The permissions needed to operate, authorisations, proceedings, public authorities and sector-specific requirements.
11. Litigation. Current disputes, challenges and negotiations, available documents, identified deadlines and organisational consequences.
12. Financial distress. Strained relationships with creditors and lenders, steps already taken and matters to coordinate with financial and accounting advisers.
13. Planned transactions. Acquisitions, disposals, new shareholders, reorganisations, new premises and investments that may alter the risk picture.
The result: a Legal Map
The Legal Map presents the findings clearly. Each point identifies the area, documents reviewed, relevant facts, possible consequences, information still needed and proposed action. Priorities are explained so that the business can weigh them against its resources and objectives.
The four categories are also expressed in words: act now, where a prompt decision is required; address, for work to be scheduled; monitor, where periodic checks are needed; and in order within the reviewed scope, based on the available information. Missing documents are expressly recorded and do not amount to a positive finding.
The 12-month Legal Action Plan
The plan turns findings into work: action, priority, business contact, other professionals involved, dependencies and an agreed deadline. It may include revising templates, completing documents, internal procedures, focused training and further analysis of particular relationships.
Twelve months is a planning horizon, not a reason to postpone an urgent matter. Actual deadlines take priority over the plan’s timetable. Regular reviews record what has been implemented and revisit priorities as activities, organisation or commercial relationships change.
An example of a Map and Plan
Illustrative example: different versions of sales terms are in use. The finding identifies the texts, who sends them to customers and where payment, liability and termination provisions diverge. The proposed priority is “address”, unless a dispute or deadline calls for immediate action.
The work may involve collecting the versions, reviewing significant relationships, preparing a template and setting a procedure for approving exceptions. The business may appoint its commercial manager as the contact; NL handles the legal work within its agreed scope. An illustrative agreed schedule could allow for collection in the first month, revision in the following months and checks on use during the year.
This illustrates the structure of the output. It is not an assessment of a real case or a promised timetable. Documents, priorities, responsibilities and timing differ for every business.
A five-stage process
1. Initial discussion. We understand the activities, objectives and issues raised, and agree the scope, contacts and terms of the engagement.
2. Documents and people. We agree a proportionate document request and identify those familiar with the relationships and procedures, involving other advisers where needed.
3. Analysis. We review documents and practices, seek clarification and distinguish established findings, matters to verify and missing information.
4. Findings. We discuss the Legal Map with the business owner and relevant contacts, explaining why an issue is a priority and what alternatives may be considered.
5. Planning and implementation. We define the 12-month Legal Action Plan and agree who will carry out the work, through specific engagements or ongoing support.
Documents, scope and initial questions
Useful starting points include a description of the business, its corporate and organisational structure, contract templates and lists of insurance policies, financing arrangements and open issues. The request is tailored to the agreed scope: there is no need to send every business document indiscriminately.
Frequently asked questions
Is it useful without a dispute?
Yes: the check-up can help prevent inconsistencies and prepare for future decisions.
What if documents are missing?
We record the gap, consider how to retrieve them, identify what can still be reviewed and explain which conclusions must remain open.
Who implements the actions?
The plan identifies work for the business, its existing advisers and any legal support to be agreed.
Does the check-up commit us to ongoing support?
No: implementation and any continuing relationship are agreed separately.
Timing and fees are agreed before work begins. The result depends on the scope and information available. Technical, tax or specialist reviews outside that scope, and subsequent work, are identified and agreed separately.
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