Markets & Expansion
Deciding whether, where and on what conditions to enter or expand in a market.
View practicePractice 02 — Expertise
Partnerships & Counterparties
Understanding who you are actually dealing with, and whether the alignment holds under pressure.
The decision problem
Assess a strategic partner or counterparty
Partnership decisions are frequently made on presentation rather than capability. This practice assesses the commercial substance of a prospective partner or counterparty — what they can genuinely deliver, where their incentives diverge from yours, and how the relationship should be structured so that misalignment surfaces early rather than late.
Capabilities
What this practice covers
- 01
Strategic partner assessment
Commercial assessment of a prospective partner: track record, operating capability, and the fit between their strategy and yours.
- 02
Commercial counterparty validation
Validation of the commercial claims a counterparty is relying on to secure the relationship.
- 03
Qualification and capability verification
Verification that stated capability, capacity and delivery history are supported by evidence that can be examined.
- 04
Alignment analysis
Where interests converge, where they diverge, and what each party is structurally incentivised to do when conditions change.
- 05
Joint venture and partnership structure
Commercial structuring options, control and contribution logic, and the governance the arrangement will require to remain workable.
- 06
Negotiation preparation
Positions, dependencies, walk-away conditions and the evidence needed to hold a position under pressure.
Engagement shapes
How the work is commissioned
- Single counterparty assessment ahead of commitment
- Comparative assessment across a shortlist of prospective partners
- Structuring and negotiation support through to signature
Scope discipline
Where our mandate stops
Commercial judgement is strongest when adjacent specialist work is named rather than blurred into the mandate. Where another discipline is required, we identify it early.
- This is commercial assessment. It is not legal due diligence, sanctions screening, anti-money-laundering compliance, forensic investigation or regulated advisory work.
- Where a mandate requires regulated or forensic scope, that work should be commissioned from an appropriately authorised provider and run alongside ours.
Related
Other practices
Commercial Governance & Execution
Making consequential decisions accountable, and keeping them accountable through execution.
View practiceNext decision
A consequential decision deserves a clear basis.
Engagements begin with a short, confidential conversation about what is being decided, what is already known and whether Alomarada is the right firm to take it.