Boutique practice · Commercial & estates
Hazel Vessel acts for founders, family businesses and executors. Every matter is read, scoped and argued by the lawyer you first speak to — with the engagement basis written down before any work begins.
What we take on
A small practice can only be excellent at a few things. These are the five. Each lane states what sits inside it, who it suits, and where we would refer you elsewhere.
01
Contract failures, supply and distribution breakdowns, disputed invoices and warranty claims. Work begins with a written view on merits and likely cost before a letter goes out, so a claim is a decision rather than a reflex.
Best suited toDisputes where the commercial relationship still has value worth protecting, and where the paperwork exists even if it is untidy.
02
Deadlock between founders, unequal contributions, valuation arguments and the quiet exits that need to stay quiet. We draft the exit mechanics and hold the line on process while the commercial terms are negotiated.
Best suited toTwo to six owners who would rather settle the structure now than litigate it in two years.
03
Drafting wills with business assets in them, advising executors on their duties, and resolving contested estates where family members disagree about what was intended. Plain-language drafting, with a note explaining each clause.
Best suited toEstates containing a trading business, property held with others, or a blended family structure.
04
Supply, services, licensing and shareholder agreements reviewed or drafted from scratch. Reviews come back as a marked document plus a one-page risk note ranked by what would actually cost you money.
Best suited toBusinesses signing agreements that will run for years, or sending out the same contract repeatedly.
05
A retained arrangement for owners who want a lawyer to call before acting rather than after. Short questions answered the same week, with anything larger scoped separately so the retainer stays predictable.
Not the right fitCriminal defence, immigration, personal injury and family law. We will name a practitioner in those fields instead of taking the file.
How a matter runs
Nobody should commit to a legal process they cannot see the shape of. The first consultation exists to tell you whether you have a matter worth running — including when the answer is no.
01
Send the documents you already have. We read them before the meeting, then spend the time on your questions rather than on background. You leave with a view on merits and the realistic options.
02
Within two working days you receive a scope letter: what is included, what is excluded, the fee basis, and the point at which we would come back to you before continuing.
03
Drafting, correspondence, negotiation or proceedings as scoped. You are told before each material step and receive copies of everything sent in your name.
04
At the end of a matter you get a short closing note: what was agreed or decided, what you should diarise, and which documents to keep and for how long.
Fees and engagement basis
Which basis applies depends on how predictable the work is. The basis is always chosen with you, written into the scope letter, and not changed without a new letter.
Basis one
A single agreed figure for work with a known shape — a will, a contract review, a template set, an exit deed.
Basis two · most common
The matter is split into stages with a figure against each. You approve the next stage only when the previous one is complete.
Basis three
A set monthly amount for standing advisory access, with larger pieces of work scoped separately as they arise.
Missing or disorganised documents, a counterparty who will not engage, multiple decision-makers on your side, and deadlines imposed by someone else.
A complete document bundle at the outset, one named decision-maker, an early decision on whether you want settlement or a ruling, and realistic expectations about timing.
Court filing costs, expert reports and counsel's fees are separate from ours. They are estimated in the scope letter and never incurred without your approval.
If a stage is going to exceed its estimate, you hear it before the work is done, not on the invoice. You can then re-scope, pause or close the stage.
Marren Hazel-Vessel · Principal
The principal
I started this practice because the matters I found most interesting were the ones being passed down a chain of juniors. Here, the person who reads your documents is the person who argues your position.
Before opening the practice I spent a decade on commercial disputes and owner-managed business work, which is where the habit of writing things down in plain language came from. A client who cannot explain their own position back to me has not been advised properly.
I keep the caseload deliberately small. That means I decline work regularly, and I would rather tell you at the consultation that your matter belongs with a larger firm than discover it four months in.
Questions clients actually ask
Consultation enquiry
Enquiries are read by the principal. You will hear back with either a consultation time or a referral — no enquiry is left unanswered.