Some people are comfortable working with lawyers, whether because of their phlegmatic natures, their vast and positive experience with lawyers or some other reason. We are aware, however, that for many others, the prospect of hiring a lawyer, or the actual experience of using one once hired, is frightening. We believe that these feelings of fear have several bases.

For some, this fear is based on a lack of familiarity with what lawyers do and how they charge for their services. In addition, lawyers' work can sometimes seem mysterious or invisible to a client. And many, though not all, situations requiring the use of a lawyer are difficult, stressful ones for the client to be in, and may put the attorney under pressure as well. This makes almost any interaction at such times itself difficult and stressful.

For all of these reasons, wherever warranted, we try to implement:

• Holistic handling of clients' legal matters: We attempt to consider the legal ramifications and requirements involved in clients' business plans generally, and to be aware of social or cultural concerns which the client may have disclosed to us.
  
  
• Considerate billing practices: We explain, generally in writing, at the outset of our working relationship with a client, the terms of our billing for work on legal matters. We also attempt, where possible, to give clients an idea how much to expect to pay in legal costs, and the factors which will affect legal costs. Many matters have fairly predictable legal costs; the pace of work demanded by other matters does not always make it possible to prevent "billing surprise." In any event, mindful of tight budgetary constraints in the current economy worldwide, we strive to minimize such surprise wherever possible.
  
  
• Clarity of communication: We attempt, where possible, to inform clients what we are doing or are likely to do, generally, in handling a matter. Where warranted or desired by a client, we will describe in detail foreseeable work to be done in handling that client's legal matters. We also attempt to apprise clients, where warranted, of the risks or prospects for success involved in a course of action being considered. Some of these dynamics of communication are no more than what every lawyer ought to provide to clients, and many lawyers do provide it. It is our level of commitment to good communication generally which we believe is somewhat unusual in the practice of law.

The foregoing dynamics of our practice have generally contributed to making our working relationships with our clients good ones.