By Will Killin
Name the gap
I would begin with the decisions ahead and the support already available. Do you need a technical opinion, a bounded assessment or continuing challenge? An appointment made simply to add reassurance can obscure who remains accountable.
Look beyond the conversation
Useful counsel may require examining documents, investigating claims and comparing alternatives between meetings. Agree the questions, access and written outputs. In an illustrative acquisition discussion, relying only on the sponsor’s summary may miss a material assumption in the underlying plan.
Test independence and fit
Discuss relevant experience, conflicts, prior involvement and the limits of expertise. Ask how the adviser would approach the issue. You should be able to test the recommendations too. The basis and limitations of the judgement should be visible.
Keep the relationship bounded
Agree a sponsor, focus, access and a way to decide whether the arrangement remains useful. Counsel does not replace management capacity or board responsibility. If someone must own work inside the organisation, an embedded role may fit better. Where internal challenge already works well, ongoing counsel may add little.
If this question reflects your situation, explore Independent Counsel or discuss the issue with me. You do not need to select a service first.