Deal structure
Deal structure, and where you decide
Five of these seven steps require your approval. We do not proceed past any of them without it. We never take custody of the data.
Seven steps
- 01
You describe the records
An outline of the software the company used, the years it covers, and the approximate volume is enough. Please do not send files, samples, exports or passwords. We do not take access to the company's systems.
- 02
Authority to license
We ask for evidence of who can license or sell the records. In an operating company that is usually the board or an officer it has authorised. In a closure it may be an assignee, administrator, liquidator, trustee or receiver, and a court may have to approve. We sign a confidentiality agreement before detailed discussions.
You decide - 03
A description, without the files
Buyers are shown a description of the records, not the records. The description does not name the company. Some buyer programmes require the company to be identified before an introduction. We name the company to a buyer only after you approve that buyer in writing.
You decide - 04
You choose the buyer
You approve the buyer, the use, the term, and whether any licence is exclusive. You can refuse any buyer. A deal does not go ahead unless you approve it. In a court process, the court may also have to approve.
You decide - 05
Personal data de-identified before any transfer
Before any transfer, a specialist de-identification vendor engaged by the company removes or masks direct identifiers. The company approves the scope of what would move. Records that cannot be adequately de-identified are not licensed. We never take custody of the data.
You decide - 06
You sign with the buyer
The company signs with the buyer it chooses. The company's own lawyer should review the agreement before it is signed. Nothing is transferred until the company approves it.
You decide - 07
The fee is in writing
We tell you in writing how any buyer-side fee is calculated before you sign our agreement, and the amount, once known, before you sign with a buyer. If we cannot confirm the amount, we say so in writing, and you can say no to that buyer. What the company is paid, and when, is set only in the contract with the buyer. We do not state an amount or a date on this site.
What you control
The following applies throughout the process.
- You can refuse any buyer.
- We never take custody of the data.
- You approve the buyer, the use, the term and exclusivity before a deal goes ahead.
- You can stop before any records are transferred.
- The company is not named to any buyer without your prior written consent.
- Where a buyer accepts a non-exclusive licence, the company may be able to keep using its records, depending on the licence terms. Some buyers only purchase outright or require exclusivity. We tell you which before you sign anything with a buyer.
Start a confidential review
For companies that are operating, winding down or closed. The first step is a review of what the company holds; no files are transferred.