Professional Boundaries

Firms engaging an independent reviewer need to know exactly what they are and are not buying. Ambiguity about scope creates two risks: that a client relies on our work for a purpose it was never designed to serve, and that a third party reads more into a report than it says. The boundaries below apply to every engagement and to everything on this website.

We are not a law firm and we are not authorised to carry out reserved legal activities. Our work may involve reviewing how a firm has documented its obligations, but we do not advise on the interpretation of law, draft or settle legal instruments, or represent clients in proceedings. Where a matter turns on a point of law, we say so and recommend that you instruct a solicitor.

We are not registered auditors and we do not express an audit opinion on financial statements. Our reviews are independent professional assessments against a scope agreed with you in writing. They are not conducted under auditing standards and must not be described, relied on or presented as a statutory audit.

We do not advise on the merits of investments, arrange transactions, or carry out any activity requiring authorisation under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Our financial crime and governance work concerns controls, records and documentation, not investment decisions.

We do not advise on tax treatment, prepare tax computations, or file returns. Where a review touches records that also have tax consequences, we limit our comments to the records themselves and recommend you take advice from a suitably qualified tax adviser.

Our involvement does not transfer responsibility. Accountability for compliance, for the adequacy of controls and for regulatory obligations remains with the firm, its officers and its appointed post-holders. We support that function with evidence and documentation; we do not replace it or discharge its duties.

Our reports describe what we found against the agreed scope on the date of the review. They are not a certificate, licence, accreditation, kitemark or guarantee of compliance, and they do not bind any regulator, bank, insurer or counterparty in their own assessment of your firm.

Within those limits, our work is substantive. We review policies, controls, records and files against a written scope; we test whether controls operate as described rather than only whether they exist; and we report findings with severity ratings, evidence references and a remediation trail that a later reviewer can follow. The Approach page explains the method, and Services sets out each engagement type.

Our reports are prepared for the client named in the engagement terms and for the purpose recorded in the scope. We do not accept responsibility to any other party who obtains a report, and no duty of care arises to a third party unless we have agreed it in writing. If you need to share a report with a bank, insurer, funder or counterparty, tell us at the scoping stage so the terms can reflect that.

We will tell you plainly and, where we can, describe the type of professional you need. We would rather decline work or refer it on than accept an engagement we are not the right firm to perform. Our client acceptance and conflicts policy explains how we assess this before any engagement begins.