You choose your licensed pros. We help you choose well — and watch the work.
You will hire your own attorney, your own CPA, your own financial advisor, your own engineer or architect, your own broker, your own general contractor. Most operators retain those licensed professionals under pressure — a demand letter, a closing window, an audit deadline, a build start date — and they hire the first plausible firm on the call list. That is the single most expensive operating decision a non-licensed client makes. We bring discipline to it.
Important framing first
Choosing your licensed professional — attorney, CPA, financial advisor, engineer, architect, broker, contractor — is your decision and only your decision. We do not pick them for clients. We do not refer to a closed panel. We do not receive fees from any law firm, accounting firm, financial advisor, engineering firm, brokerage, or contractor. What we do is give you the framework, the questions, the second set of eyes, and ongoing watchdog oversight that an experienced operator-peer would.
Which licensed professionals we cover
The methodology below applies to any licensed professional whose work touches your business. See the firm's scope-of-practice page for the full picture of where the law requires licensure.
- Attorneys (Bar license) — litigation, M&A, regulatory, IP, employment, real estate, family-company succession.
- CPAs (CPA license) — year-end audit, IRS representation, attestation work.
- Financial advisors (Series 7 / 65 / 66 / SEC / FINRA) — investment management, securities recommendation, fee-based asset management.
- Engineers & architects (PE / RA licenses) — signed structural drawings, expert engineering work.
- Real-estate brokers — commercial property transactions.
- General contractors, electricians, plumbers — physical buildout work.
- Registered fundraising counsel, talent agencies, telephonic sellers — niche marketing-adjacent licenses.
Who this is for
- Founders, executives, or owners about to retain a licensed professional for a significant matter.
- Operators who already have one engaged and want a second set of eyes on strategy, billing, motion or filing tempo, or settlement / closing posture.
- Self-represented parties interviewing counsel about taking over a case mid-stream.
- Family offices, investors, and operators who want diligence on the professional a portfolio company is about to retain.
- Anyone who has already hired a licensed pro and wonders if the bill matches the work.
Pre-retention diligence — what we actually look at
You give us the names and engagement letters of the firms you are considering. We help you read them like a deal document.
| Element | What we look for |
|---|---|
| Fee structure | Hourly vs. contingency vs. hybrid vs. flat; minimums; success premiums; collection terms |
| Scope of representation | What is included; what is "additional services"; how scope expansions get billed |
| Conflict screens | Conflicts disclosed; waiver language; how new conflicts are handled mid-engagement |
| Withdrawal terms | How the firm can leave; how you can leave; what happens to the file |
| Fee-shifting | Whether the matter has fee-shifting potential and how that is captured in the engagement |
| Costs vs. fees | What is billed as cost (filing, transcript, expert, copies) vs. fee — and on what markup |
| Success thresholds | For contingency or hybrid: what counts as success; when premiums trigger |
| Retainer mechanics | Replenishment thresholds; carry-over rules; refund posture at engagement end |
| Staffing | Who is actually doing the work; partner vs. associate vs. paralegal ratios; rate by role |
Interview prep — the questions Big Law hates being asked
We give you a question set drawn from Dustin's own experience interviewing counsel for his matters — and from being on the receiving end of opposing counsel in five concurrent proceedings. Sample categories:
- Technical strength — recent matters in your specific category, motion-practice tempo, win/loss posture on the relevant fact pattern.
- Calendar reality — how many active matters does the lead attorney have right now, what trial schedule do they sit on top of, who covers for them when they cannot.
- Settlement vs. trial — what is their posture profile, how do they decide, how do they communicate it.
- Billing transparency — what does a monthly invoice look like, what level of detail, what is the dispute process.
- Communication cadence — frequency, format, who responds, weekend posture, in-emergency escalation.
- Ego — how they respond to client second-guessing; how they respond to losing a motion; how they handle disagreement on strategy.
Counsel-fit assessment
After your interviews, we help you stress-test fit on five dimensions, each scored against the specific matter you are bringing:
- Technical strength in the relevant practice area
- Motion-practice tempo matched to the case timeline
- Settlement vs. trial posture matched to your strategic goal
- Billing transparency matched to your operating discipline
- Ego — can this person hear "I disagree" without it becoming a problem
Post-retention watchdog mode — the firm's superpower
Once you have retained a licensed professional, we sit beside you while they work. Privately, monthly, recorded if that helps. Across categories the watchdog includes:
- What to ask in your weekly or monthly call with the professional
- What to request in writing vs. accept in conversation
- What red flags to watch for (deferred filings or filings without strategy; vague memos; unexplained billing spikes; settlement / closing / sign-off pressure without underlying analysis; advisor product steering)
- When an outcome warrants a frank conversation about strategy, staffing, or scope
- For attorneys: how to read motion outcomes — what is procedural noise vs. substantive shift
- For CPAs: how to read a management-letter point; how to challenge an audit assumption; how to interpret IRS correspondence
- For financial advisors: how to read a fee structure; how to spot product-steering; how to compare comparable benchmark performance honestly
- For engineers / architects: how to read a change-order; how to read a structural memo; how to read a permit timeline
- For contractors and brokers: how to read a draw schedule; how to read a comparable-market analysis; when to escalate
- How to read a bill — in every category
What we do not do
- Pick your licensed professional for you — attorney, CPA, financial advisor, engineer, architect, broker, contractor — that decision is yours
- Communicate with your professional on your behalf
- Practice law, accounting, engineering, architecture, or investment advice on your behalf
- Represent you in court, in an audit, in a securities transaction, or as a registered agent
- Receive referral fees from any law firm, accounting firm, financial advisor, engineering firm, brokerage, or contractor
- Tell you whether your case has legal merit, whether your books pass an audit, whether a security is suitable, or whether a structural plan is sound — only the licensed professional can answer those
- Substitute for any licensed professional in any context
The line we hold: we coach the client; we do not represent the client. We watch the work; we do not perform the regulated work. Every conclusion is yours. We say this out loud, in writing, before payment, on the call, and in every deliverable. See disclaimers and scope of practice.
Pricing & timeline
| Format | Timeline | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Get Grilled (decision pressure-test — any licensed-pro selection) | 30 minutes · private | $99 |
| Single engagement-letter / engagement-agreement / advisory-contract read (AEGIS-assisted) | 24-hour delivery | $79 |
| Selection sprint (multi-firm diligence + interview prep + fit memo, any category) | 1–2 weeks | From $3,500 fixed |
| Post-retention watchdog retainer (any licensed pro) | Rolling monthly | From $2,500 / month |
Read the engagement letter before you sign it.
Engagement letter, advisory contract, build contract, audit engagement, broker agreement — upload it for an AEGIS-assisted read. $79, 24-hour delivery, six-dimension structural review.