1. Introduction

1.1 Our terms and conditions

These General Terms and Conditions apply to all services and engagements provided by LEAD Advokatbyrå Aktiebolag, reg. no. 559551-9215 (“LEAD“, “we“, “us“). When you engage us, these terms and conditions become a binding part of our agreement. In addition to what is stated here, the Code of Conduct of the Swedish Bar Association also applies, which is binding on us.

1.2 Your contracting party

You always enter into an agreement with LEAD Advokatbyrå Aktiebolag as a company, and not with any individual. All LEAD employees are subject to these terms and conditions and limitations of liability when they perform work for you within the framework of an engagement.

1.3 Definition of engagement and services 

By “engagement” and “services” we mean any part of a matter or delivery of a service. This means that even if a matter or service involves several separate instructions, is handled by different people at LEAD, concerns different areas of law or if we represent several parties, it constitutes a single engagement or service.

1.4 Special conditions

If we have sent you a letter of engagement or if we have entered into any agreement with specific terms and conditions for a specific engagement, those terms and conditions will prevail over these terms and conditions in the event of a conflict.

2. Scope of the engagement or service 

2.1 Scope of the engagement or service

We agree on the scope of the engagement or service, usually in an engagement letter. The scope can then be adjusted in dialogue with you.

2.2 Services customised for you

Our services are always tailored to the unique circumstances of your specific engagement and are based on the circumstances, facts and instructions you give us. Our advice may therefore not be used for any other purpose or relied upon in any other context.

2.3 Restriction to Swedish law and exemption for tax

Our advice covers only Swedish law. We do not express an opinion on the legal situation in other jurisdictions. Based on our general experience in dealing with other jurisdictions, we may express opinions on legal issues in another jurisdiction. This is intended only to give you the benefit of our experience and does not constitute advice on which you can rely. Our advice and services never include advice on tax matters or potential tax consequences.

2.4 Advice based on the current situation

Our advice is based on the legal position and circumstances prevailing at the time it is given. We are under no obligation to update the advice to reflect subsequent changes in law or circumstances.

2.5 No guarantee of outcome

Our advice constitutes qualified judgements based on our expertise and experience. However, we never guarantee a particular outcome in a case.

2.6 Our technology-driven work processes

Our services are delivered through deliberately designed work processes. We use advanced technologies as an integral part of our workflows to automate routine tasks and accelerate the production of high-quality drafts and decision support for our experts. This is fundamental to the efficiency and precision we want to offer our customers. However, the final strategic and legal judgement in all our advice is carried out by our senior experts, and it is this expert judgement that forms the basis of the advice, services and products LEAD delivers to you.

3. Mandatory checks and due diligence

3.1 Conflicts of interest

Under the Swedish Bar Association’s (Sveriges advokatsamfund) Code of Conduct, we are obliged to avoid conflicts of interest. We therefore always carry out a conflict of interest check before undertaking to represent a customer. Notwithstanding this, circumstances may arise whereby we discover a conflict of interest during an ongoing engagement. If this occurs, we are obliged to comply with the Code of Conduct, which may require us to withdraw from the engagement.

3.2 Know your customer and money laundering

We are required by law to take measures to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. This means that we must verify the identity of you as a customer, your representatives and your beneficial owners,seek information about the case and in some cases also the origin of funds and other assets. We will therefore request the necessary documentation for this, both before and during an ongoing engagement or service delivery.

We are also required by law to report suspicions of money laundering or terrorist financing to the Swedish Financial Intelligence Unit. The law prevents us from informing you that we have such suspicions or that we have made or are considering making a report.  If we suspect money laundering or terrorist financing, we are obliged to decline or withdraw from the engagement.

3.3 Insider information

If you are required to draw up an insider list under the EU Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) and share inside information with us, we will, at your request, draw up an internal list of the persons with us who have access to the information. By engaging us, you agree to inform us without delay when you share information that you consider to be inside information.

4. Fees, costs and expenses

4.1 Our pricing model

Our pricing processes are designed to make our pricing models predictable and value-based. We primarily apply fixed prices for defined projects or subscriptions for ongoing advice, as agreed in engagement letters or as otherwise agreed. 

In cases where the nature of the engagement or service makes it difficult to apply a fixed-price model, we may agree to work on a current account basis. In such cases, the fee is based on an overall assessment where the time spent is weighed against factors such as: (i) the skill and expertise required for the matter, (ii) the result achieved, (iii) the importance of the matter, (iv) any risks to us, and (v) the time pressure involved in the matter.

Our fees are in accordance with the rules of the Swedish Bar Association.

4.2 Costs and expenses

In addition to our fees, we charge you for the direct costs and expenses that we may incur. These may include, for example, registration fees, registration costs, fees to other advisers and experts, travel and temporary staff. We will always seek your authorisation before incurring any significant external costs on your behalf.

4.3 Value added tax

All fees and costs are quoted exclusive of VAT, which is payable by law.

5. Invoicing and payment

5.1 Invoicing and advance payments

Invoicing is normally done monthly in arrears. Subscriptions are invoiced in advance for the coming period, while fixed-price projects are invoiced according to what is stated in the engagement letter or agreement. For fixed-price engagements where completion is delayed due to circumstances on your side (for example, inactivity, failure to provide feedback on drafts, or failure to provide instructions), we are entitled to invoice for work performed and costs incurred (pro rata). If LEAD has delivered material drafts or completed the main part of the work, we are entitled to invoice the agreed fixed price in full. We reserve the right to request advance payment before starting or continuing an engagement or service. Such advance payment will be deducted from future invoices.

5.2 Payment terms

Payment terms are 20 days net from the invoice date, unless otherwise agreed. In the event of late payment, we reserve the right to charge interest on arrears in accordance with the Interest Act and to charge a reminder fee of SEK 60 per reminder.

5.3 Your responsibility for payment

You are always responsible for paying our invoices, regardless of whether you are entitled to reimbursement from a third party, for example via legal assistance insurance or from a counterparty in a dispute. Whether you are the winning or losing party in a dispute, you must pay for our work and expenses in accordance with these terms and conditions and any other agreements we may have made.

6. Limitation of liability

6.1 Our limitation of liability

Our liability for any loss or damage caused to you as a result of our fault or negligence in the performance of the engagement is limited to the greater of either SEK 10 million or 5 times the total fee for the engagement. In no event shall our liability extend to loss of business, loss of profit or any other form of indirect or consequential loss. This amount is the total limit of our liability, irrespective of the number of damages or claims arising within an engagement.

6.2 Reduction

Our liability shall be reduced by any amounts recoverable through insurance or third parties.

6.3 Scope of liability

Our liability applies only to you as our customer. If, at your request, we agree in writing that a third party may rely on our work results or advice, this shall not increase or otherwise affect our liability. We may be held liable to such a third party only to the same extent as we are liable to you. Any amounts we may pay to such third party shall reduce our liability to you accordingly. There is no customer relationship between us and the third party.

We are not liable for any loss arising from your use of our advice or work product in any other context or for any other purpose than that for which it was intended. We have no liability for other advisers or specialists we have engaged on your behalf, even if they report to us. We are not responsible to you for the completeness or accuracy of information provided to us by you or others in connection with our work, nor for any loss or damage arising from any misrepresentation, misstatement or omission by anyone other than ourselves or our employees.

6.4 Liability in case of multiple advisors

If more than one adviser is liable for the same loss, our liability shall be limited to that part of the loss which corresponds proportionally to our share of the total fees paid to all advisers.

6.5 Force Majeure

We are not liable for damage arising from events beyond our control, which we could not reasonably have foreseen at the beginning of the engagement and the consequences of which we could not reasonably have avoided.

7. Complaints and claims

7.1 Complaints process

If you are dissatisfied with our services for any reason, we ask you to immediately notify the lawyer responsible for your case. This will allow us to address your concerns as quickly as possible and, if possible, rectify any shortcomings.

7.2 Time limits for claims

Any claims against us must be made in writing as soon as you have become aware of the circumstances on which the claim is based, but no later than six months after the circumstances became known to you. A claim can never be made later than 24 months after the last invoice for the engagement or service in question was issued. If these deadlines are not met, you lose the right to make a claim.

7.3 Handling of claims from third parties

If a claim is made against you by a third party, and you consider that we may be liable for it, we shall be entitled to respond to and settle the claim on your behalf, provided that we indemnify you within the limits of liability set out in these terms and conditions. If you take any action in respect of such a claim without our consent, we will have no liability for the claim.

7.4 Assumption of rights to claim

If we, or our insurers, pay you full compensation for a claim, we will assume the right to recover the amount paid from third parties.

8. Privacy, personal data and our digital environment

8.1 Confidentiality

All information that you share with us, or that we otherwise obtain in the course of an engagement or service, is subject to our statutory duty of confidentiality. We will not disclose any such information without authorisation. Exceptions to the duty of confidentiality may apply if we are obliged to disclose information by law, for example under the Money Laundering Act, or if you have given your consent. If, within the framework of an engagement or service, we engage or co-operate with another adviser or professional, we are however also entitled to disclose such information as we consider may be relevant in order for that person to be able to provide advice or contribute in accordance with the purpose of the engagement. We would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the use of digital tools and cloud services, which are necessary for efficient service delivery, entails special conditions and risks regarding information management, as described in more detail in section 8.3.

8.2 Personal data and data protection

We are the controller of the personal data that we process in connection with our services. We process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection legislation in order to carry out our services and to fulfil our legal obligations. For full information on how we process personal data, please see our Privacy Notice on our website.

8.3 Communication and cloud services

In order to deliver effective services, we use digital tools and cloud-based solutions for communication, document management and as part of our internal and legal work processes. This means that in the course of an engagement or service, information may be transferred to and stored by third-party providers. Although we set high standards for the security and confidentiality of our suppliers, complete security can never be guaranteed. The use of such services may also mean that, under US legislation such as the CLOUD Act, the information may have to be disclosed to US authorities at their request, regardless of where in the world the information is physically stored. By engaging us, you accept that we use these tools as part of our service delivery and that you recognise the risks that this may entail. If you have specific requirements or preferences regarding information management, you must notify us before starting an engagement or service.

9. Termination of the engagement or service

9.1 Your right to terminate

You have the right to terminate an ongoing engagement or service at any time by notifying the lawyer responsible for you as a customer.

9.2 Our right and obligation to withdraw

Under the Code of Conduct, we have both a right and an obligation to withdraw from an engagement or service in certain circumstances. For example, in the event of a conflict of interest, non-payment, if you do not provide us with the instructions we need or if we can no longer maintain a relationship based on trust.

9.3 Liability for payment on termination

Regardless of the reason for termination of the engagement or service, you are liable to pay for the work we have performed and the costs we have incurred up to the date of termination.

10. Intellectual property rights and marketing

10.1 Our intellectual property rights

We own the copyright and other intellectual property rights to the work results we generate within an engagement. However, you have an unrestricted right to use these work products for the purposes for which they were provided. Unless otherwise expressly agreed, our work results may not be publicly distributed or used for marketing purposes.

10.2 Reference in marketing

Once an engagement has become public knowledge, we reserve the right, unless otherwise notified, to inform in our marketing about our participation in the engagement and about other already published information and to use your logo material. Such information will always be of a general nature.

11. Archiving and handling of documents 

11.1 Archiving 

Once an engagement or service has been completed or otherwise terminated, we will archive (with us or with third parties, in paper or electronic form) relevant documents and work results collected in the engagement or service. The documents will be archived for the period we deem appropriate, but never for a shorter period than required by law or professional practice (currently ten years).

11.2 Right to destroy documents 

After the end of the archiving period, we have the right to destroy or delete the documents without notifying you.

11.3 Original documents 

Unless otherwise agreed, we will return any original documents to you at the end of an engagement or service. However, we may retain a copy of such documents for our own records.

12. Amendment of the terms

We may change these terms and conditions from time to time. The current version is always available on our website. Amendments will only take effect for engagements or services commenced after the updated version has been published.

13. Applicable law and dispute resolution

13.1 Applicable law

These general terms and conditions, the engagement letter and all matters relating to our engagements or services for you shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Swedish law.

13.2 Dispute resolution

Any dispute arising out of these terms and conditions, our engagements or our services shall be finally settled by arbitration in accordance with the Rules for Expedited Arbitration of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC). The seat of the arbitration shall be Stockholm and the language of the proceedings shall be Swedish. 

The proceedings and all information contained therein are confidential, except as required by law or for the defence of rights.

13.3 Exceptions for debt recovery

Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 13.2, we are always entitled to bring an action for payment before a public court or authority.

13.4 Disputes with consumers

If you are a consumer (a natural person acting for purposes that are not business or professional) and a dispute arises that we cannot resolve by mutual agreement, you have the right to have the dispute reviewed by the Consumer Disputes Board of the Swedish Bar Association. The Board can be contacted by post (Box 27321, 102 54 Stockholm) or via their website (www.advokatsamfundet.se/konsumenttvistnamnden).

v.2026.1.0 – Valid from 2026-03-04