Client Satisfaction
"We believe that a satisfied client is the best recommendation for the work of our firm"
At D&F we aim to provide the five “C’s” which are, in our view, essential to providing client satisfaction. These are:
- Competence;
- Commercial outlook to legal problems;
- Cost effectiveness;
- Compatibility with corporate culture; and
- Complete Integrity
1. Competence
D&F lawyers consist of qualified and experienced lawyers most of whom are not only Kenyan Advocates but have also qualified as Solicitors, Barristers or Attorneys in England & Wales and New York. Our lawyers seek to provide succinct advice, real solutions and thought out best options rather than lengthy legal opinions and voluminous advices.
2. Commercial outlook to legal problems
D&F understand that clients expect us to do more than just quote the textbook to them and accordingly are mindful of the commercial aspects of a transaction and advise our clients accordingly.
3. Cost effectiveness
D&F recognize that clients need to keep the legal costs of a transaction to a minimum. There is sometimes a false perception that the larger older established firms such as D&F are more expensive than the smaller and/or more recently established firms. This is often a false perception since D&F is able to provide value for money due to the following factors: -
(a) Experience - The partners of D&F have many years of professional experience, with some of them having practiced law for between 20 to 40 years. Consequently they are able to work in a time efficient manner. As our fees are often charged on a time-expended basis, the fees are kept at reasonable levels as clients do not have to pay for a firm’s learning curve on any given transaction.
(b) Inventive Structuring - In commercial matters costs may also be saved from the inventive structuring of a transaction with a view to saving tax and other costs and expenses that would otherwise be incurred.
(c) Efficient Drafting Skills - Experience in drafting a wide variety of agreements means that our draft documentation is comprehensive and efficiently produced. The scope of negotiations may thereby be limited to the deal terms alone, thus saving time and thereby the legal costs incurred.
(d) Effective Negotiation Skills – Essential in ensuring that our clients interests are promoted and that a transaction comes to a timely and satisfactory close.
4. Corporate Culture
When advising our clients we are mindful of that fact that their corporate culture, identity and outlook are very important factors in the way in which they do business. We develop an understanding of our clients' business and corporate culture to better advise and protect their interests.
5. Complete Integrity
We conduct our practice in strict compliance with Kenyan Laws, and taking into account the requirements of clients arising particularly under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices laws and the UK Bribery Act 2010 which has a significant impact upon the conduct of subsidiaries and associates, including their professional advisors. As a consequence we may not be able to deal with some transactions (e.g. registrations in Lands Registry) as quickly as some clients may anticipate as we do not engage in the practice of making any payments which may infringe any anti corruption legislation, for which we have an express code of conduct to ensure compliance.