# Cyprus Partner — Pre-Engagement Verification Request — Template | Field | Value | |---|---| | Document type | Outreach instrument sent to a candidate Cyprus delivery partner before any Statement of Work is signed | | When used | After ADR-006 §"Engaged partner" identifies a candidate and before any client data crosses border | | Owner role | Interlegal Engagement Partner (signatory); Interlegal Middle (drafter); Interlegal PM (tracker owner) | | Gate status | Internal G1 + G2 + G3 before sending — partner-side response gates fall under [[process/partner-verification]] methodology | | Related stages | Inputs: [[ADR-006]] selection criteria + [[ADR-005]] G0-G6 ownership map. Drives: [[09-cyprus-partner-sow]] SOW instantiation. Live partner state in `/api/partners` (rendered on `/staff`). | --- **Pre-Engagement Verification Request** **under Interlegal partner-selection governance (ADR-006)** Our ref: VERIF / {{PARTNER_SHORT_NAME}} / {{VERIFICATION_OPEN_DATE_ISO}} Verification ID: {{VERIF_ID}} Outreach date: {{OUTREACH_DATE_ISO}} --- **Recipient (instance):** {{PARTNER_LEGAL_NAME}}, {{PARTNER_CITY}} **Sender:** Interlegal Limited (Engagement Partner: {{ENGAGEMENT_PARTNER_NAME}}) **Purpose:** close the 11-item pre-engagement checklist required by Interlegal's internal governance (ADR-006) before any Statement of Work is signed and before any Ultimate Client data is transferred. --- ## How to use this document 1. **Send as PDF attachment to a cover email** (template at §6 below). Do not paste the whole document into the email body — the structure is the point. 2. **Track responses** in `/staff` "Cyprus Partner Verification" panel (live source-of-truth, backed by `/api/partners`). One verification item changes status at a time as evidence arrives; do not bulk-update. 3. **Run a 45-min introductory call** *after* Sections 1 + 2 are answered in writing. The call covers Section 3 (4 ownership questions) verbatim. Reference calls (Item 10) follow separately. 4. **Document outcomes** — every answer is captured in the live tracker with a date + source (email / call notes / signed warranty). Verbal answers without written follow-up do not satisfy verification. 5. **No SOW until all 11 items reach `VERIFIED` or have an Interlegal-approved exception with documented reasoning.** --- ## Section 1 — Firm credentials (Items 1, 2, 5, 6, 8) We need written confirmation, with supporting evidence where indicated, on each of the following: | # | Item | What we need | Evidence format | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | **ICPAC licensing** | Is your firm directly ICPAC-licensed (audit + accounting)? If not, name the affiliate ICPAC firm you route audit + tax-return sign-off through, including the ICPAC member ID of the partner who will sign for Interlegal matters. | ICPAC member number + member name; if via affiliate — affiliate firm legal name + ICPAC ID + scope of engagement | | 2 | **Bar member on staff** | Is a Cyprus Bar Association member on staff for ruling submission and court representation? If routed through an associate law firm, confirm the engagement structure: in-house, sub-engaged per-matter, or referral. | Bar member name + admission date + firm relationship; if via affiliate — affiliate firm name + signed referral framework | | 5 | **Real Cyprus office** | Physical office address(es) on Cyprus, with confirmation that client meetings can be held there. | Address(es); we will validate by on-site visit at SOW signing | | 6 | **English working language; Russian/Ukrainian bonus** | Confirm English is the firm's working language for technical correspondence. Confirm bilingual capability (Russian or Ukrainian) for client-facing communications when the Ultimate Client is UA-origin. | Yes/no per language; if UA bilingual — named staff member | | 8 | **Boutique size + Big-4 independence** | Total professional headcount; any equity or referral relationship with Big-4 (PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, EY) or their Cyprus affiliates. | Headcount; any Big-4 disclosure | ## Section 2 — Practice depth (Items 3, 4) | # | Item | What we need | Evidence format | |---|---|---|---| | 3 | **IP Box specialism** | Number of IP Box matters closed in the last 5 years; one anonymised case study (client name redacted, structure and outcome preserved) OR a published IP Box alert / thought leadership piece authored by the firm. | Count + 1 case study (1-2 pp) OR published-alert URL + date | | 4 | **Tax ruling experience** | Number of advance tax ruling applications filed in the last 3 years, with success rate (favourable rulings / total filings). | Count + outcome breakdown | ## Section 3 — Ownership and sign-off architecture (Items 7, 9, 11; G5 ownership test) These items determine whether you take G5 professional ownership under our gate model (ADR-005) — the central question of partner suitability. ### Item 7 — GDPR + DPA willingness Before any Ultimate Client data crosses the border, we require a signed Data Processing Agreement (controller-to-processor; joint-controller as applicable). Are you prepared to sign Interlegal's standard DPA (provided on request), or do you require negotiation against your own template? If the latter, please share your template now so we can begin reconciliation. ### Item 9 — Secure file exchange We require encrypted file exchange for all matter information. Acceptable channels: SFTP, Tresorit, ShareFile, or managed-PGP email. **Email-attached PDFs as the default transfer mechanism is a disqualifier.** Please confirm your standard infrastructure and willingness to use Interlegal's portal where required. ### Item 11 — G5 professional ownership (rubber-stamping test) These four questions are taken verbatim from ADR-006 §"Pre-engagement test". We need your answers in writing **and** discussed live on the introductory call. The four questions: > **Q1.** Are you comfortable taking G5 sign-off as defined in the gate model (Cyprus law, filing acceptability, professional liability), including potential disagreement with Interlegal's G4 position? > **Q2.** Where would you push back on the G4 ↔ G5 boundary as described in ADR-005 and the ownership matrix in ADR-006? > **Q3.** What is your view of the GAAR / Principal-Purpose memo and Existing Company Diagnostic workstreams being **co-owned** (Interlegal + Cyprus partner sign jointly), rather than allocated to a single owner? > **Q4.** How would you handle a G5 disagreement with an Interlegal G4 conclusion — particularly where Interlegal is comfortable filing but you, as G5 owner, would withhold sign-off? **Note on the rubber-stamping framing:** your answers form the basis of the Statement of Work scope and fee structure. If you experience any of these questions as undermining your professional standing, please name that explicitly on the call — that is itself a useful signal about engagement fit. ### Item 11 supplementary — Constellation declaration ADR-006 anticipates two engagement constellations: **Constellation A — Single-firm.** Your firm internalises all three Cyprus-side sign-offs (corporate filings + audit + ruling submission + court representation). Requires ICPAC licence + Bar member in-house. **Constellation B — Split-firm.** Your firm acts as coordination layer; G5 sign-off splits into: - **G5a (legal):** affiliate Bar firm signs ruling submission + court appearance. - **G5b (audit):** affiliate ICPAC firm signs annual statutory audit + TD4 IP Box claim. - **Your firm:** incorporation filings, registered office, banking intros, ruling-draft coordination, substance validation review, secretary services, board minute attestation. Please declare which constellation you propose. If Constellation B, name the affiliate firms and confirm whether they have agreed to be engaged on the terms described. ## Section 4 — References and capacity (Item 10) We require a minimum of **two reference clients** with whom Interlegal can hold a 30-minute call each. UA-origin clients preferred; cross-border SaaS preferred. References must be reachable directly (introduction email from you is sufficient; we will schedule independently). For each reference, please provide: - Reference client legal name + jurisdiction - Named contact + role - Matter type (IP Box / advance ruling / Cyprus IP structuring) - Year of engagement - Whether the client gave consent to be named to Interlegal for verification purposes **Capacity floor for Sprint 2 onwards:** we project 8–15 parallel matters in Year 1, scaling to 25–30 in Year 2. Confirm: - Your firm's capacity to absorb this volume without G5 turnaround exceeding 10 working days - Named back-up partner internal to your firm if the primary partner is unavailable - Quarterly capacity review willingness (mutual review of SLA hit rate) ## Section 5 — Logistics and timing - **Written response target:** 10 working days from receipt of this document. - **Introductory call:** 45 minutes, scheduled within 5 working days after the written response is delivered. - **Reference calls:** scheduled in week following the introductory call. Two calls × 30 min each. - **Site visit + SOW signing:** target within 21 calendar days of all 11 items reaching `VERIFIED` status. ## Section 6 — Cover email template ```text Subject: Interlegal — Cyprus IP Box turnkey product — pre-engagement verification Dear {{PARTNER_LEAD_NAME}}, Following our earlier correspondence on Interlegal's Cyprus IP Box turnkey product, please find attached our standard pre-engagement verification request. The document captures the eleven items we close in writing before any Statement of Work is signed, together with four ownership questions we discuss live on the introductory call. We are happy to share our Master Services Agreement template and the Statement of Work template (per-matter sub-contract) on a separate exchange, once Sections 1 + 2 are answered in writing. The Data Processing Agreement can be shared on request now if you prefer to begin DPA reconciliation in parallel. Suggested timeline: - Written response from your side: by {{RESPONSE_TARGET_DATE}} - Introductory call (45 min): scheduled within 5 working days thereafter - Reference calls: week following the introductory call - Site visit + SOW signing: within 21 calendar days of all items verified Please confirm receipt and a target date for your written response. Happy to answer process questions ahead of the formal response. Kind regards, {{ENGAGEMENT_PARTNER_NAME}} Engagement Partner — Cyprus IP Box product Interlegal Limited ``` ## Section 7 — Internal notes (not to be sent) - This document is **partner-agnostic by design**. Recipient-specific values are confined to the `{{PLACEHOLDER}}` tokens at the top + cover email. The same template is used for the engaged partner and any backup partner — recipient swap only. - Verification status is tracked in `/staff` "Cyprus Partner Verification" panel (live; backed by `/api/partners`). Do not update the table in ADR-006 §"Engaged partner" inline — that table is a snapshot for the locked ADR; the live state on `/staff` supersedes it for working purposes. - If a recipient declines to answer any item, default position is to deem that item `FAILED` and escalate to Interlegal Engagement Partner for a documented exception decision. Silent omissions are not acceptable. - If reference calls reveal a pattern of SLA slippage, fee creep, or rubber-stamping (G5 owner signs without substantive review), default position is to halt verification and activate backup-partner outreach. Document the reasoning in the live tracker. - The four G5 questions in Section 3 are also the basis for SOW §3 (scope) and §5 (SLAs). Capture verbatim answers; do not paraphrase. --- ## Quality gates (template instantiation checklist) - **G1 — Author self-check**: All `{{PLACEHOLDER}}` tokens replaced with the recipient instance's values; cover email reviewed for tone; PDF export legible. - **G2 — Peer review**: Interlegal Middle reviewed; tracker initialised at `/staff` with 11 items × `UNVERIFIED` + reference slots + intro-call slot. - **G3 — Compliance / risk**: AML pre-screen on recipient firm + UBOs run; sanctions screen on principals run; DPA template ready for share on Section 3 question. - **G4 — Outreach sent**: PDF + cover email sent by Engagement Partner; `/staff` tracker `OUTREACH_SENT_DATE` populated; auto-reminders set for response-target date. --- **Related:** [[ADR-006]] selection criteria + Constellation A/B; [[ADR-005]] G0-G6 + G5 ownership; [[ADR-009]] language and filing protocol; [[09-cyprus-partner-sow]] SOW template (instantiated post-verification); [[process/partner-verification]] verification methodology + close criteria.