Corporate Legal Retainer
Legal questions answered
before they become problems
Running a company produces legal questions regularly — contracts that need a second look, employment situations that feel uncertain, disputes that are better addressed early. A retainer arrangement means those questions reach an adviser who already knows your business.
What this arrangement delivers
Consistent access, consistent advice
The Corporate Legal Retainer gives your company a defined monthly arrangement with a named legal adviser. Questions about contracts, staff matters, customer disputes in their early stages, and documents that need review before they are signed — these are handled within the retainer without separate fees for each matter.
The practical result is that legal questions stop accumulating. They are answered when they arise, which tends to keep them smaller than they would otherwise become.
Outcomes you can expect
- Contracts reviewed before signing, not after something goes wrong
- Employment questions handled when they first surface
- Early-stage customer disputes addressed calmly and in writing
- Quarterly summaries that make legal patterns visible over time
- An adviser who knows your business, not just the immediate question
What many companies find themselves managing
Legal questions tend to wait, and waiting tends to cost more
Many companies in the twenty-to-two-hundred staff range deal with legal questions the same way: they wait to see whether something develops into a real problem before involving anyone. A contract clause that seemed acceptable at signing, an employment situation that has been left unaddressed, a customer complaint that has started to escalate — these reach legal advice later than they should.
Part of the reason is that calling a lawyer for each small matter feels disproportionate — and the fee uncertainty makes it easy to delay. So questions collect, and some of them become significantly more complicated than they needed to be.
The arrangement described here is intended for exactly this situation: companies whose legal questions are frequent but individually small, and who would benefit from having those questions answered promptly rather than allowed to develop.
How this arrangement is structured
A defined scope, a single monthly fee, and an adviser who already knows your situation
Defined monthly hours
The retainer covers a set number of hours per month. Unused time carries forward for one period, so quieter months are not simply lost.
Named adviser throughout
You deal with the same person each time. They learn how your company is structured, what kinds of contracts you use, and what your usual concerns are — which makes each subsequent question faster to address.
Stated response time
Ordinary queries receive a response within two working days. For time-sensitive matters, we discuss a realistic turnaround before work begins — so you are not left uncertain about when to expect a reply.
What working together looks like month to month
A steady presence, not a series of separate engagements
Questions answered as they arise
Rather than scheduling a formal consultation each time, you send a query — by email or phone — and receive a considered response within the stated timeframe. The adviser already has your context, so the explanation does not need to start from the beginning.
Document review included
Contracts, supplier agreements, employment documents, and standard correspondence can be reviewed before they are signed or sent. Notes are provided on anything that warrants attention — written plainly, not in terms that require a second translation.
Quarterly summary provided
At the end of each quarter, a written summary of the matters raised is prepared. This gives a clear picture of where legal questions have been concentrated and whether any patterns are worth addressing more systematically.
Plain language pair
Retainer
A standing arrangement where a fixed monthly fee secures a defined amount of legal access and advice, rather than paying separately for each individual matter.
Carry-forward provision
Hours not used in one month that roll into the next, so a quieter month does not result in lost time that has already been paid for.
Early-stage dispute
A disagreement between your company and a customer, supplier or employee that has not yet escalated into formal proceedings — the point at which clear, measured communication can often resolve matters without formal action.
The arrangement and its fee
Transparent pricing, set before any work begins
¥44,000
per month
The monthly fee is fixed and stated in advance. It does not change partway through a matter. If a question falls outside the scope of what the retainer covers, that is identified clearly before any additional work is undertaken.
The arrangement is suited to companies of roughly twenty to two hundred staff — organisations large enough to generate legal questions regularly, but whose individual questions are each too small to justify a separate formal engagement each time.
What is included
- A set number of hours per month, with unused time carried forward one period
- A named adviser who handles all your matters
- Stated response time for ordinary queries (two working days)
- Contract and document review within the monthly hours
- Quarterly written summary of all matters raised
- Plain-language explanations included with all written advice
How the arrangement functions in practice
What you can reasonably expect, and when
First month
The initial period is spent on context — understanding your company's structure, the kinds of contracts you use regularly, and the employment arrangements in place. This background is what makes subsequent advice useful quickly.
Ongoing months
Questions are handled as they arrive. Contracts are reviewed before signing. Employment queries are answered clearly. Early disputes are addressed in measured terms. The pattern of questions becomes visible over time.
Quarterly review
A written summary of matters raised during the quarter, noting any patterns or recurring question types. This can be useful for identifying where standard processes or documents might reduce the frequency of future questions.
Scope note
The retainer covers advice, review and correspondence on matters arising in ordinary operation. Matters that develop into formal proceedings — litigation, arbitration, or regulatory investigations — are handled separately, with fees and scope agreed in advance before that work begins.
Before you commit
A plain assessment, at no cost, before any arrangement begins
Before we discuss formalising anything, we offer a preliminary conversation to establish whether the retainer arrangement makes sense for your company's situation. We will ask about the size of your company, the kinds of legal questions that tend to arise, and how frequently they do so.
If the arrangement is a reasonable fit, we will say so. If your situation is better served by a different structure — a single-matter engagement, or a referral to another practitioner — we will tell you that too. There is no obligation attached to this initial conversation.
What we commit to
- Stated response times honoured
- Fee fixed as agreed, not revised mid-matter
- Plain-language explanation with every piece of advice
If the matter falls outside scope
You will be told clearly, and where possible directed to an appropriate practitioner, before any additional fees are discussed.
How to proceed
Starting is straightforward
Step one
Send an enquiry
Use the contact form on the main page or write directly to info@knob-corelab.com. Describe your company briefly and the kinds of legal questions that tend to arise.
Step two
Initial conversation
We will respond within two working days and suggest a time to speak. The purpose is to understand your situation — not to commit you to anything.
Step three
Arrangement agreed
If the retainer is a suitable fit, we agree the terms in writing — fee, monthly hours, response times, and scope — before anything begins.
Ready to discuss a retainer arrangement?
Send an enquiry and we will confirm whether the Corporate Legal Retainer is a suitable fit for your company. No obligation is attached to the initial conversation.
Send an EnquiryOther services
Other areas Knob Core Lab handles
Neighbour and Boundary Matters
Civil disputes between property owners covering boundaries, shared structures, access rights, noise, and management association obligations. Mediation offered as a first route where suitable.
Residency and Visa Documentation
Support with status of residence applications, changes of status, activity permissions, and permanent residency. For individuals and companies handling applications on behalf of employees.