CONSULTANCY SERVICES AGEEMENT
GENERAL PART
1. Definitions
The Agreement: refers to this Consultancy Services Agreement, consisting of a General Part and a Special Part.
The Client: refers to any legal or natural person who uses the Services provided by ExpertLab and is a party to the Agreement.
ExpertLab: refers to the “ExpertLab” company trading under the ExpertLab trademark as specified in the Special Part of the Agreement.
Services: refers to legal, or other services provided by ExpertLab to the Client as defined in the Special Part of the Agreement or agreed in writing in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Agreement.
The Assignment: refers to an assignment received by ExpertLab, formulated by the Client in accordance with the procedures set out in the Agreement.
The Parties: refers to the Client and ExpertLab together.
2. Services and procedures
2.1. ExpertLab undertakes to act as the Client’s advisor, to represent their interests and to provide such Services as the Client may request, as described below.
2.2. The Client may request Assignments and order Services in written or oral form, by placing orders through telephone, e-mail, or other electronic means of communication, and so forth. The Parties agree that all employees of the Client or other persons acting on behalf of the Client are authorized to order Services, whether through oral or written means.
2.3. The terms and conditions, including the fee, for the provision of specific Services shall be set out in the Special Part of the Agreement and/or shall be confirmed between the Parties by electronic means (e.g. email) or otherwise in writing. The Parties agree that the term “in writing” herein and hereafter in the Agreement includes electronic means (e.g. email).
2.4. Where necessary, ExpertLab may use third parties to perform the Services. By signing the Special Part of the Agreement, the Customer confirms that they are aware that ExpertLab has a wide network of experts and has the right, and sole discretion to select the expert most suitable for the Client. Where the Services are provided to the Client by an expert affiliated with ExpertLab who is authorised to provide such Services on behalf of ExpertLab, the Services will be deemed to have been provided by ExpertLab themselves.
2.5. ExpertLab does not provide advice on financial decisions, nor does it provide valuation, accounting or tax advice (unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Parties).
2.6 Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, ExpertLab provides advice relating to the jurisdiction of the Republic of Lithuania only.
2.7. ExpertLab may, on occasion, give their opinion on matters relating to the law of other jurisdictions, but this shall not be deemed to be the provision of legal advice and ExpertLab will not be responsible for the correctness of any such opinion given.
2.8. ExpertLab undertakes to advise the Client only, and is not responsible for any decisions made by the Client or any consequences thereof.
2.9. Unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing, all intellectual property rights arising out of ExpertLab’s performance of an Assignment belong to ExpertLab. ExpertLab will not assign any intellectual property rights to the Client. The Client will only be entitled to use such intellectual property rights for the purposes for which they are specifically granted.
2.10. The Parties agree that the Services shall be deemed to have been rendered when ExpertLab provides the Client with the result of their Services. From this moment, ExpertLab will not be entitled to make any further corrections. Additional corrections can only be made by ordering new Services, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties.
3. Payment arrangements for services
3.1. The Client undertakes to pay ExpertLab a fee for the Services provided. Where provided for by law, VAT will be added to the fee.
3.2. The fee payable to ExpertLab is set out in the Special Part of this Agreement or may be otherwise agreed in writing.
3.3. If the remuneration is calculated on an hourly basis for time spent in carrying out the Client’s Assignment for the purposes of the provision of the Services, then all time spent in carrying out the Assignment, including, but not limited to the time spent travelling to visit the Client or any third person or body, as well as telephone conversations in connection with the Client’s affairs, including with the Client, the Client’s other advisers or legal counsel for the other party, etc., will be included in the calculation of the final fee.
3.4. ExpertLab may perform such acts as they deem necessary or advisable to execute the Assignment and may incur reasonable, necessary, incidental expenses (including, but not limited to, transportation, translation, copying of documents, international telephone calls, notary fees) in the execution of the Assignment, which will be reimbursed by the Client.
3.5. ExpertLab will issue invoices within the terms and conditions set out in the Special Part of the Agreement and/or after the provision of the Services or part thereof. The Client undertakes to pay ExpertLab’s invoices within the defined time limit, or if no specific time limit is set out, within 10 (ten) calendar days of receipt of the invoices. Failure to pay on time will attract interest at the rate of 0.05% per day of the unpaid amount until the Client has settled all overdue amounts.
3.6. Comments or claims regarding the scope, or quality of the work performed by ExpertLab, or the amount invoiced, should be submitted to ExpertLab by e-mail no later than 10 (ten) calendar days from the date of receipt of the invoice. After this period, the Services shall be deemed to have been provided as required.
3.7. If the Client fails to pay the invoice issued by ExpertLab on time, the company will be entitled to initiate debt collection procedures or assign the right to claim the debt to a third party.
3.8. The Client undertakes to reimburse ExpertLab for the costs incurred by the company in collecting any overdue amounts.
3.9. Invoices shall be sent to the Client by e-mail without physical signature to the e-mail address specified in the Agreement or by any other method agreed between the Parties.
4. Rights and obligations of ExpertLab
4.1. ExpertLab undertakes to provide the Services to the Client in good faith and with due care.
4.2. ExpertLab undertakes to use their best endeavours to avoid conflicts of interest in the provision of the Services to the Client and to notify them in advance of any potential conflict of interest.
4.3. ExpertLab undertakes to perform in good faith, appropriately and in a timely manner the other obligations assumed under this Agreement and required to be performed under the applicable legislation of the Republic of Lithuania.
4.4. ExpertLab shall be entitled to receive the price for the Services duly rendered in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the Agreement.
4.5. ExpertLab shall have the right to unilaterally terminate the Agreement in accordance with the procedure set out in the Agreement if the Client is more than 30 (thirty) calendar days late in paying for the Services.
4.6. ExpertLab shall have the right to obtain from the Client such information as is necessary for the fair and diligent performance of this Agreement.
5. Client rights and obligations
5.1. The Client shall be entitled to receive Services of a satisfactory quality that comply with all the requirements of the law and any additional requirements for the Services set out in the Assignment.
5.2. The Client undertakes to promptly provide ExpertLab, at their request, with all information and documents necessary for ExpertLab to provide quality consultancy services. ExpertLab will assume that the information and documents received from the Client are complete and correct.
5.3. The Client undertakes to pay for the Services provided in accordance with the agreed terms and conditions.
5.4. The Client shall also have other rights and obligations directly provided for in or arising from this Agreement and other legislation.
6. Transmission of information by electronic means, it systems and original documents
6.1. The Client confirms that they agree to the exchange of information by electronic means. The Client is aware of the risks associated with the transmission of information by electronic means: notifications may be received late or not delivered, confidential and personal information may be intentionally or unintentionally altered or stolen or disclosed to third parties. ExpertLab accepts no responsibility for the risks associated with the transmission of information by electronic means, provided that the Parties have taken all reasonable precautions to avoid such occurrences.
6.2. The measures taken by ExpertLab to protect the information transmitted by electronic means and to ensure its confidentiality and preservation may, in certain cases, block the transmission of the Client’s information by electronic means. The Client will undertake to make additional telephone contact or to ask ExpertLab to acknowledge receipt of the e-mail after sending an important electronic message.
6.3. ExpertLab uses commercially available IT systems to store information about their Clients, the Services provided to them and any related documents.
7. Confidentiality
7.1. ExpertLab undertakes to ensure full confidentiality and non-disclosure to third parties of the information provided by the Client that is required for ExpertLab to execute the Client’s Assignments, in accordance with the rules of professional ethics. ExpertLab will have the right to disclose confidential information when it is required by law or by a court, and where such information is used for the purpose of executing the Client’s Assignments. ExpertLab will retain any obligations with respect to the protection of confidential information during the term of the Agreement and for a period of 10 (ten) years after the termination or expiration of said Agreement.
7.2. The Client acknowledges that they are aware that ExpertLab may have provided, is providing, or will provide in the future, services to other Clients whose interests are potentially not aligned with the Client’s interests. ExpertLab’s obligations to avoid direct conflicts of interest only apply in respect of each specific Client Assignment during the term of an Agreement and will not apply after termination of the Agreement.
7.3. If required for the provision of the Services or if such an obligation arises from the law, ExpertLab may, without the Client’s express consent, disclose to third parties (including notaries, translators, banks and governmental authorities), confidential information and documents relating to the Client.
7.4. If the Client instructs ExpertLab to use subcontractors for the provision of the Services, or if the Client agrees to use the services of other service providers offered by ExpertLab, then ExpertLab will have the right, unless otherwise expressly agreed, to disclose to them, such confidential information and materials as ExpertLab deems necessary for the performance of the Assignment.
7.5. The Client agrees that ExpertLab may disclose to third parties the fact that the Client is a client of ExpertLab, as well as the Assignments in which ExpertLab has represented the Client and the general nature of the Services provided to them. ExpertLab will be entitled to use the Client’s name, the nature of the Services provided, the details of the transaction, without disclosing confidential information, and the Client’s trademark or logo in communications about the Services provided by ExpertLab, unless the Client does not consent and informs ExpertLab in writing.
7.6. The Client will have the right to indicate, where practicable, when providing information to the media about the execution of an Assignment by ExpertLab, that consultancy assistance was provided by ExpertLab.
8. Prevention measures against money laundering and terrorist financing
8.1. The Client acknowledges that it is aware that all lawyers, as professional advisors, are required to comply with legislation governing the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, the control of distribution and the imposition of financial sanctions, and that ExpertLab has the right and, where appropriate, the duty to inform the relevant authorities of suspicious monetary operations or transactions. Should ExpertLab be obliged to report suspicious monetary operations or transactions in connection with the execution of a Client’s Assignment, ExpertLab may not be able to inform the Client that the relevant authorities have been notified and on what basis.
8.2. To comply with the law, ExpertLab must obtain proof of identity from the Client during the periods specified by ExpertLab. In some instances, ExpertLab may be legally obliged to clarify the origin of the Client’s funds and other assets. ExpertLab has a right to request relevant documents and/or information from the Client for the purposes indicated in this Clause.
8.3. Therefore, the Client undertakes to provide, upon ExpertLab’s request, documents that enable the company to verify the identity and address of the Client or their representative and to obtain other information required by law. The Client also agrees that ExpertLab may pass on relevant information to credit institutions if the credit institutions request such information in the context of monitoring anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing.
8.4. The Client confirms that they are aware and agree that ExpertLab has the right to identify the Client, persons acting on behalf of them and the Client’s ultimate beneficiaries.
8.5. The Client acknowledges ExpertLab’s right to process the personal data of the Client, their representatives, owners and beneficial owners for the purposes set out above. The Client is responsible for notifying their representatives and owners of the potential processing of their data for the purposes set out in this section.
8.6. ExpertLab will have the right to refuse or suspend the execution of an Assignment, and to notify the relevant authorities, if the Client fails to provide the requested information, or if the Client’s transaction is suspicious, or they suspect that the funds are being used for terrorist financing or money laundering.
8.7. The Client acknowledges that they are aware that ExpertLab may be obliged to provide information to tax and customs authorities regarding the Client’s VAT number and the value of the Services purchased by them, under the circumstances provided for by law. In addition, the authorities and insolvency practitioners may, in certain cases, require the production of invoices issued by ExpertLab and their attachments.
8.8. The Client confirms that they understand and agree that the foregoing, which constitutes a legal obligation of ExpertLab, does not constitute a breach of professional privacy or disclosure of confidential information.
9. Limitation of liability
9.1. The liability of ExpertLab, its employees, consultants, or any other individuals providing services through ExpertLab for direct damages caused to the Client due to improperly provided services, infringement of this agreement, or legislation will, in all cases, be limited to an amount of €10,000 (ten thousand euros). The prerequisite for liability is the culpability of ExpertLab. In any event, ExpertLab will only be liable for direct financial losses incurred by the Client in the execution of the assignment. ExpertLab shall not be held liable to third parties for actions on behalf of the Client, for consequential damages, loss of profit, economic loss, or other similar losses. ExpertLab will not be liable for third parties involved in the provision of services. The limitation of liability stated in this paragraph does not apply in cases and to the extent that such limitation is prohibited under applicable law.
9.2. The Client undertakes to indemnify ExpertLab against any third-party claims if, in the course of the execution of an Assignment, ExpertLab becomes liable to a third party on behalf of the Client.
9.3. ExpertLab will not be liable for any damages arising out of advice given to the Client or documents prepared by the Client if they were not used for the purpose intended.
9.4. ExpertLab will only be liable to the person who has entered into the Agreement with ExpertLab and not be liable for any damages caused to any third party. ExpertLab will not be liable for Services rendered by other consultants or external specialists, whether engaged by ExpertLab or by the Client on their own initiative, other than experts acting on behalf of ExpertLab (Clause 2.4 of the General Part of the Agreement).
10. Data protection
10.1. ExpertLab will collect, store, use and process the personal data of the Client and their affiliates (e.g. employees, agents, etc.), in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to the protection of personal data. As data controller, ExpertLab will process general data, information and documents and personal data for the following purposes: (i) the provision of the Services; (ii) Client relationship management and marketing; (iii) compliance with statutory requirements; (iv) improvement of ExpertLab’s Services and (v) for other purposes mentioned in ExpertLab’s Privacy Policy. The information and data processed may relate to the Client or their agents, companies, subsidiaries, divisions, employees, officers or partners. For more information on data protection and your rights, please refer to ExpertLab’s Privacy Policy available on their website.
10.2. The Client confirms that the data provided by them to ExpertLab is processed lawfully and, where applicable, the data subjects have been made aware of ExpertLab’s Privacy Policy.
10.3. The Client undertakes to inform ExpertLab if, and to what extent, any special measures are required to protect their individual data. Should ExpertLab not be specifically informed about any special security measures, it shall be deemed, that the security measures used and implemented by ExpertLab are fully compliant with all requirements of the relevant laws and regulations relating to the protection of personal data and the Client.
10.4. Upon termination of the Assignment, ExpertLab will have the right to retain and store all relevant documents and work results relating to the Assignment for such a period of time as deemed appropriate by ExpertLab, but in no event, shorter or longer than the period of time required by applicable law. Documents and deliverables may be retained and stored in digital or paper form.
11. Termination of the agreement
11.1. The Client will have the right to unilaterally terminate the Agreement at any time by giving written notice at least 30 (thirty) calendar days prior to the termination date, unless otherwise provided in the Special Part of the Agreement.
11.2. ExpertLab will have the right to unilaterally terminate the Agreement by giving written notice at least 30 (thirty) calendar days prior to the termination date, unless otherwise provided in the Special Part of the Agreement.
11.3. ExpertLab will have the right to unilaterally terminate the Agreement by giving written notice at least 14 (fourteen) calendar days prior to the termination date, if the Client misses the payment deadline for the Services provided by ExpertLab in excess of 30 (thirty) calendar days.
11.4. ExpertLab shall have the right to unilaterally terminate the Agreement at any time by giving the Client written notice with a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, if the Client fails to cooperate, is suspected of money laundering, terrorist financing, or is linked to the commission of similar offences or the intent to commit such offences, or if there is a failure to make payments, or for any other justifiable reasons.
11.5. Either Party will not be held liable for any failure or partial failure to perform any of their obligations under this Agreement if such failure or partial failure is due to unusual circumstances which the Parties could not have foreseen, avoided or remedied by any means (hereinafter referred to as Force Majeure), such as governmental decisions and other acts affecting the operations of the Parties, political disturbances, strikes, declared and undeclared wars, other armed clashes, fires, floods and other natural disasters. In such a case, the time limit for performance of the obligations of the Parties will be extended.
11.6. The Party requesting to be relieved of liability is required to notify the other Party in writing of the Force Majeure circumstances within seven (7) calendar days of such circumstances occurring, providing evidence that all reasonable precautions have been taken and every effort made to minimize the costs or adverse consequences, and any foreseeable time limit for the fulfilment of their obligations. Notification is also required when the grounds for default cease to exist.
11.7. The grounds for releasing either Party from liability will arise from the moment the Force Majeure event occurs, or in the case of a failure to give timely notice, from the moment of said notice. If a Party fails to give timely notice or to inform, they will be liable to compensate the other Party for any damage suffered by the other Party as a result of the failure to give timely notice or in the absence of any notice.
11.8. In the event of the termination or expiration of the Agreement, the Client undertakes to promptly pay for all Services rendered by ExpertLab up to the date of the termination or expiration of the Agreement and the costs incurred in connection therewith.
12. Final provisions
12.1. The General Part of the Agreement may be amended unilaterally at the initiative of ExpertLab. The General Part of the Agreement will be published on ExpertLab’s website. The Special Part of the Agreement may be amended only with the written agreement of both Parties.
12.2. The Agreement is governed by the laws of the Republic of Lithuania.
12.3. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement will be settled through negotiation. In the event of a failure to reach an amicable settlement, the dispute must be settled in accordance with the procedure provided for by the laws of the Republic of Lithuania.
12.4. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing, including by electronic mail, and shall be deemed to have been duly given if delivered by hand, courier, registered post, ordinary mail or electronic mail to the addresses of the Parties set out in the Special Part of the Agreement.
12.5 The Parties undertake to immediately inform each other of any change in their contact details as set out in the particulars of this Agreement.
12.6. The Special part of the Agreement shall be signed in two original copies with one copy to each Party. All amendments to this Agreement must also be concluded in a written signed text or in an exchange of signed documents in pdf format (or scanned), unless the Parties to the Agreement enter into a distance (electronic) commitment. When texts are concluded in two languages, in the case of conflict of translation, the Lithuanian language shall prevail.
12.7. The Parties further agree that this Agreement may be signed with qualified or non-qualified electronic signature. An Agreement signed with an unqualified electronic signature is equivalent to a handwritten signature. The Client confirms that the Agreement on behalf of the Client will be signed using the certified document signing program. The Parties confirm that this method of signing the Agreement is acceptable to the Parties.