Solenne specialist request and fee note

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Fee note Solenne Foods Ashcombe Varley LLP

Owner: Darius Okonkwo. Updated Oct 1, 2026.

Where the four requests stand

4 requests outside the fixed fee Transition services agreement held at $4,200 Approval needed by Oct 8

Every request since August that falls outside the fixed fee for Solenne's acquisition of Corran Mill Bakery, with its estimate and Henrik Dahlberg's decision, and the one request still waiting for approval: the transition services agreement, held at $4,200 with no specialist time committed. Prepared by the assistant to the engagement partner at Ashcombe Varley LLP for Solenne's general counsel and for Henrik Dahlberg, chief financial officer. Imogen Varley, partner, decides legal need, conflicts, scope and the estimate. Henrik decides whether the work begins. Status on Monday, September 28, 2026; issued Thursday, October 1, 2026.

Two requests were accepted as changes, one was declined as unnecessary and one is at scope review. The one at scope review is the transition services agreement that the seller asked for.

The terms these requests sit outside

Details
Engagement modelFixed fee for the acquisition, with specialist work estimated separately.
What the fixed fee coversThe purchase agreement, diligence, financing and consents, and employment and leases, as agreed in the engagement letter.
What falls outsideWork that needs outside counsel, a new document or added negotiation beyond the agreed workstreams.
Who decidesImogen Varley decides legal need, scope and the estimate. Henrik Dahlberg approves or declines each estimate before the work begins.

The four requests

RequestRaisedScope reviewEstimateDecision
Employment counsel reviewAug 31Outside the fixed fee, specialist needed$6,500Approved by Henrik on Sep 8, before outside counsel time was committed
Environmental questions on one siteSep 3Imogen decided no separate review was needed for this dealNone preparedDeclined, Henrik agreed on Sep 10
Trademark assignment reviewSep 10Outside the fixed fee$3,800Approved by Henrik on Sep 17
Transition services agreementSep 21Imogen decided the agreement is needed and needs no outside specialist$4,200Awaiting client decision, due Oct 8

Darius Okonkwo, matter manager, owns each request and tracks time against the estimate once a request is approved. The environmental decision stays on the matter record, so the question is not reopened by accident.

How a request is reviewed

Details
Request receivedA request arrives from Solenne or from the seller. Nothing is drafted and no time is booked.
Scope reviewImogen Varley compares the request with the engagement terms and decides whether it is needed and whether it is inside the fixed fee.
Specialist checkImogen decides whether outside counsel is needed, and checks that no conflict arises.
Change proposedDarius Okonkwo sends Henrik the request, the reason, the estimate and what is and is not included.
Accepted or declinedHenrik accepts, declines or narrows the change. Only an accepted change starts work.

The transition services agreement is held at $4,200

The seller asked for a transition services agreement. Imogen decided the agreement is needed and that it needs no outside specialist. The estimate is $4,200, it waits for Henrik, and no specialist time is committed.A junior associate had started a draft from a precedent before the scope decision was made. Darius held that draft on Sep 29. Nothing further goes onto it until Henrik approves the estimate, due Oct 8.

Specialist time is committed only after the client approves the estimate

No outside counsel is instructed, and no draft for added scope is started, until Henrik has approved the estimate for that exact request. A precedent is not a reason to start early. If a request arrives on a call, it is written down, sent through scope review and returned to Henrik with an estimate before anyone begins.

The question is never whether we can start. It is whether Henrik has said yes to the estimate for that request.

Darius OkonkwoMatter manager, Ashcombe Varley LLP

How Henrik approves the transition services agreement

✓Seller request received Sep 21
✓Imogen decides it is needed
✓Specialist check: no outside specialist
✓Estimate of $4,200 sent to Henrik
Henrik decides by Oct 8
Work begins only if accepted

What Henrik is asked to record, in one place:

  • Request: Transition services agreement
  • Raised: Sep 21, 2026 (seller request)
  • Scope review: Needed, decided by Imogen Varley
  • Outside specialist: Not needed
  • Estimate: $4,200
  • Decision by: Oct 8, 2026
  • Decision options: Accept, decline or narrow
  • Work begins: Only after an accepted decision

Who approves

HDHenrik DahlbergChief financial officer, Solenne Foods, approves or declines each estimate
IVImogen VarleyPartner, Ashcombe Varley LLP, decides need, scope and estimate
DODarius OkonkwoMatter manager, Ashcombe Varley LLP, sends estimates and tracks time

Before any more time is booked

Next steps
✓Hold the transition services agreement draft until the estimate is approved. Owner: Darius Okonkwo, done Sep 29
✓Record the environmental decision on the matter record. Owner: Darius Okonkwo, done
Approve, decline or narrow the $4,200 estimate. Owner: Henrik Dahlberg, Oct 8
Track the specialist's time against the $6,500 estimate. Owner: Darius Okonkwo, weekly
Track the trademark assignment review against the $3,800 estimate. Owner: Darius Okonkwo, weekly
Start the transition services agreement only after an accepted decision. Owner: Imogen Varley, after Oct 8

A decision is recorded against the request it answers. An approval for one estimate does not cover another request.

Demo deal room. Ashcombe Varley LLP, Solenne Foods, Corran Mill Bakery, the people and every figure are fictional sample data. Built on FuseBase.