General Terms and Conditions - Eskola Legal Attorneys Ltd
1. GENERAL
These General Terms and Conditions apply to the assignments and agreements between Eskola Legal Attorneys Ltd (business ID: 3503627-3, hereinafter also referred to as "the contractor") and its client (hereinafter also referred to as "the client"), under which the contractor provides the client with legal services and legal consultancy services.
2. THE PRICE AND TERMS OF PAYMENT FOR THE SERVICES
The contractor will charge a fee for the work done according to the agreement between the parties. The amount of the fee may depend on the specific circumstances of the assignment, such as the urgency of the assignment, the degree of difficulty or the specific expertise required. Unless otherwise agreed, the contractor shall invoice the client on a time basis in accordance with its current price list. The contractor shall be entitled to revise price list and other fee bases as the cost level increases or when there is another justified reason to increase the price list.
The minimum charge for any action performed by the assignee is 15 minutes (0.25 hours). Expenses and fees incurred or related to the execution of the assignment, such as travel expenses, expert opinions, and official and court fees, will be charged separately from the client.
For travel in connection with the performance of the Assignment, the Contractor shall charge for travel time on an hourly basis in accordance with its price list. Mileage allowances, travel expenses and daily allowances or other tax-free reimbursements of travel expenses shall be charged by the contractor in accordance with the Tax Administration's instructions or decisionsn accordance with the Tax Administration's instructions or decisions. Accommodation and other expenses incurred by the contractor in connection with the performance of the assignment shall be charged at actual cost.
The contractor shall invoice the client monthly in arrears. The final invoice will be sent to the client once the assignment has been completed or otherwise terminated. The parties may agree separately in writing that the contractor will only invoice the client after the assignment has been completed or a certain result has been achieved. The contractor has the right to discontinue the provision of services if the client fails to pay the contractor's overdue invoices.
The payment term is 14 days net. Overdue payments are subject to interest on arrears in accordance with the Interest Act. Value-added tax will be added to fees and expenses at the prevailing tax rate.
The client has the right to submit any dispute concerning fees to the Supervisory Board of the Finnish Bar Association for consideration.
3. IDENTIFICATION OF THE SPONSOR AND THE OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE INFORMATION
The client shall provide the contractor with sufficient information and materials to carry out the necessary conflict of interest and sanction checks, or to comply with anti-money laundering regulations, in order to identify the client, its representative and beneficial owners, and to provide the agreed service or to fulfil any other statutory obligation of the contractor. In addition, the client undertakes to provide information on the origin of the funds upon request. The client undertakes to notify the contractor if the information provided contains insider information.
The sponsor must inform the contractor in writing without delay if there are any changes in the information provided or in any circumstances essential to the performance of the assignment.
The provision of services requires the client to provide the contractor with all relevant information relating to the assignment. The contractor shall be responsible for the accuracy of the information provided.
4. LEGAL EXPENSES INSURANCE
The contractor has instructed the client on the possibility of using legal expenses insurance. The Contractor is aware that legal expenses insurance does not normally cover the costs of the opposing party in the event of losing the dispute. Unless otherwise expressly agreed, it is the sponsor's responsibility to apply for a decision on legal expenses insurance.
Unless otherwise agreed, the contractor will invoice the client, after which the client will seek compensation from the insurance company directly in accordance with the insurance terms. The contractor is entitled to invoice the client for fees and expenses even if the insurance company does not cover said fees or expenses.
5. MANAGING THE ASSIGNMENT
The assignee is obligated to perform their duties diligently, in accordance with best legal practice and applicable legislation.
A designated person will be responsible for this on behalf of the contractor. The person in charge of the contract may be assisted by persons employed by the contractor at the time.
The Contractor shall be entitled to use external service providers to carry out the assignment in situations where the nature of the assignment so requires. Such situations may arise, for example, in the case of contracts with international elements. The use of external assistance must be agreed in advance with the contracting authority, unless the costs involved are negligible.
The services provided by the contractor to the client from time to time shall be based only on the information and instructions received for the relevant assignment and shall not be used for any other needs or purposes of the client.
If necessary, the client has the possibility to complain about the contractor's conduct to the supervisory board of the Finnish Bar Association (in Finnish: Suomen Asianajajat).
6. CONFIDENTIALITY
The contractor shall keep confidential any confidential information received from the client in connection with the assignment and any communication with the client in accordance with the applicable legal obligations and rules of confidentiality.
If the contractor uses external service providers to perform the contract, the contractor shall be entitled to disclose to them such confidential information and materials as are necessary for the proper performance of the services.
7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
The contractor does not guarantee the achievement of a specific result in a particular assignment. The advice given by the contractor is only valid for the assignment in question. The contractor's services shall cover only legal advice and shall not include advice on other matters such as financial, tax, technical, accounting or environmental matters, unless otherwise agreed.
The contractor is not liable for any indirect or consequential damages. The contractor is not liable for any damage caused by incorrect or incomplete information provided by the client, or by the failure to provide information in a timely manner. The services provided to the client are intended solely for the client, and the contractor has no liability to third parties.
The total liability of the contractor is limited to EUR 200 000.
The contractor shall not be liable for any costs or damages arising from services provided by third parties. The contractor shall not be liable for any damage resulting from the contractor performing its tasks and fulfilling its obligations or otherwise acting in accordance with the applicable legislation and professional and ethical rules.
This paragraph 7 shall also apply where the person performing the contract on behalf of the contractor is personally liable for the fault in the service by virtue of mandatory law or good professional conduct.
The client must submit all claims in writing within one month of the end of the assignment at the latest.
8. PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE
The contractor has valid liability insurance for its activities. The insurance company that issued the liability insurance is LähiTapiola Pääkaupunkiseutu Keskinäinen Vakuutusyhtiö (business ID 2647339-1, domiciled in Helsinki).
9. FORCE MAJEURE
The contractor shall not be liable for damage if it can prove that the performance of its obligations was prevented by an suprising, unusual or unforeseeable event beyond its control, which it could not have taken into account when agreeing the assignment and the consequences of which it could not reasonably have prevented.
10. SANCTIONS
The contractor is committed to complying with international sanctions regulations in its operations. If the client, or any person or entity directly or indirectly controlling it, is on a sanctions list imposed by, inter alios, the UN, EU, United States, United Kingdom, or OFAC, or any other sanctions list binding on the contractor, the contractor has the right, and if necessary, the obligation, to terminate or suspend the provision of services to the client immediately.
11. OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The client authorises the contractor, for the duration of the assignment, to obtain necessary information regarding the client's insurance policies from the client's insurance company and to check the client's credit information.
The Contractor may use the Client as a reference unless otherwise agreed. The Contractor may mention that it has provided services on behalf of the Client, for example in its marketing materials and on its website.
The Contractor will process personal data in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations (Contractor's Privacy Policy here).
Copyright and other intellectual property rights to all documents and other materials created in connection with the performance of the assignment belong to the contractor. The client has the right to use the documents and other material only for the purpose for which the documents or materials were created.
12. CONSUMER-CUSTOMER RIGHTS
If the client is a consumer as defined in the Consumer Protection Act (in Finnish: "kuluttajansuojalaki"), the Consumer Protection Act applies to the provision of the assignee's services.
The consumer has the right to withdraw from a contract concluded by telephone, letter, e-mail or other means of distance communication by informing the contractor in writing within 14 days of the order being given. However, there is no right of withdrawal if the provision of the services under the contract has already begun with the consumer's consent.
The consumer has the right to bring a dispute concerning the services provided by the contractor to the Consumer Disputes Board. Before taking the matter to a consumer dispute panel, the consumer should contact the consumer advice centre.
13. COMMUNICATIONS AND DOCUMENTS
Communication or the delivery of documents and other documentation between the client and the contractor primarily occurs via unencrypted email. The client understands that, although email communication is protected by confidentiality, it involves data security risks, despite the firm's adherence to general data security practices.
Client-provided materials in electronic format must be in a commonly used file format and openable without specialized software.
The Contractor shall not be liable for damage related to IT services or electronic communications, unless the damage is caused by intentional or grossly negligent breach of professional duties in connection with the assignment.
14. APPLICABLE LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Finnish law, excluding its choice of law provisions, shall apply to the engagement and the services performed by the contractor. Disputes shall be resolved primarily through negotiation. If the parties fail to reach a solution through negotiation, disputes shall be finally settled in the Helsinki District Court.
15. VALIDITY
Once each party has fulfilled its obligations under the agreement, the agreement will cease to be in force without notice.
The client has the right to terminate this agreement with immediate effect at any time. The assignee only has the right to withdraw from the assignment in accordance with the guidelines concerning best legla practices.
16. CHANGES TO THE GENERAL CONDITIONS
The Contractor may update or change its general terms of engagement from time to time as it develops its services. Changes may also be due to changes in legislation. The current Terms of Reference are available on the website www.eskolalegal.com.
The General Conditions of Contract were last updated on 10.3.2025.