Case study: Ask the Expert project – Various locations

Our client's requirement

A large US independent oil company operating in multiple jurisdictions wanted a flexible and confidential advisory and early warning system whereby, at very short notice, they could talk on the telephone to a leading expert on a specific country, without the expert knowing which company they were talking to.

Our approach

We devised a mechanism with the client through which Menas Associates retained leading experts on between 15 and 35 countries. Under this retainer agreement, our experts were available at a pre-arranged time to have a 30-60 minute telephone call with an anonymous oil company executive about their specific country. Our experts also provided Menas with early warnings about in-country developments likely to have an impact on the staff or operations of a US oil company. These early warnings often resulted in a follow-up conference call the same day, enabling the client and our expert to discuss the specific implications of the threat or event.

The outcome

Menas Associates provided retained advisory services to the client for a period of twelve years, during which time our country coverage changed repeatedly in response to our client's evolving commercial interests. Similar advisory mechanisms were established for a number of other oil sector clients.

Regions covered

East and Southeast Asia

Latin America

Services provided

Ask the expert