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The WONE Global Standard
Trust is not declared. It is demonstrated.
One published Standard, agreed by every admitted WONE Global firm. It covers how firms are admitted and how they work. It sets how independent partners work together for you: who leads, how they keep each other informed, and where you go if something isn't right.
Six commitments
What every Partner firm commits to
Each rule is written for the client. The same rule tells a firm what holding a WONE Global position requires.
- 01 · Partnership reviewFor you: every firm you meet was assessed before it was admitted.
For the firm: depth, senior leadership, cross-border practice and delivery readiness are evaluated independently; the contribution does not buy the position. - 02 · Named responsibilityFor you: a named senior professional is responsible for your work in each country.
For the firm: each position is led by a named senior professional who genuinely leads that practice. - 03 · Joined-up workingFor you: when several firms work on the same project, they brief each other, sequence the work and hand over properly.
For the firm: shared rules for briefing, communication and handover across WONE Global colleagues. - 04 · Quality reviewFor you: firms are reviewed against this standard while they hold a position.
For the firm: continuing eligibility depends on the review; a position can be withdrawn. - 05 · ConfidentialityFor you: your information is used only for your work, by the people who need it, under our privacy policy.
For the firm: client information is shared across WONE Global only for the work it concerns. - 06 · EscalationFor you: a route to WONE Global if you're not happy with how your work is handled.
For the firm: a defined process for concerns raised by a client or a WONE Global colleague.
Admission criteria
What a firm needs to be admitted
Every position is filled by review, against the same five criteria, in every market. Paying the annual contribution never secures a position.
- 01 · A senior named leadThe named lead is a partner, director or equivalent, with at least ten years in the service they lead.
- 02 · Recognised for the workThe firm leads that service in its market: a ranking in a recognised directory, or three cross-border references WONE Global may contact.
- 03 · Licensed and insuredLicensed for the service in its jurisdiction, with professional indemnity insurance appropriate to the work.
- 04 · Conflicts and capacityA conflict-check process, and the capacity to meet the service levels below.
- 05 · Accepts reviewWritten acceptance of this Standard, including the review and removal process.
Service levels
What you can expect, and when
These are the promises WONE Global and every Partner firm make to clients. They are measured, and they decide whether a firm keeps its position.
| Promise | Measure |
|---|---|
| Your requirement is acknowledged | Within 1 working day |
| Your named lead is confirmed, after a conflict check | Within 3 working days |
| You receive a scope and fee estimate, before any work starts | Within 5 working days |
| You are asked to rate the work when it ends | Every matter; target average 4 out of 5 or better |
| Each Partner firm is reviewed against these measures | Every quarter, and for reappointment every year |
Review and removal
Two missed service levels in a quarter, or an average client rating below 3.5 over two quarters, leads to a period of probation and then to removal. Exclusivity protects a firm that serves clients well, and only such a firm.
If the Partner cannot act
If the Partner has a conflict, does not reply within 3 working days, or is not right for your work, WONE Global introduces a vetted Associate firm and tells you who it is first. You are never left without an option.
How exclusivity works
A Partnership with conditions
Exclusivity is a position within WONE Global for one service in one jurisdiction. It is not a claim that no other firm can do the work, and it never stops a client from being served.
- ScopeEach Partnership covers one service, as defined on that service's page, in one country, or one region in India, China and the United States.
- Interim coverIf a Partner cannot act on a matter, because of a conflict, capacity or no reply within 3 working days, WONE Global may introduce an Associate firm for that matter. The Partnership itself is not affected.
- Client choiceClients are always free to choose another firm, and to instruct any firm directly.
- Review, appeal and renewalPartners are reviewed every quarter and reappointed each year. A Partner placed on probation or removed is told why in writing and can appeal to the Standards Committee within 30 days.
- ResignationA Partner can resign on 90 days' notice. Open matters are completed or handed over with the client's agreement.
Audit independence
Audit is kept separate
A Partner that audits a client is not introduced to that client for other services unless the Partner confirms in writing that its independence rules allow it. Where a firm holds audit and another service in the same country, the client is told before any introduction.
Governance
Who decides
Admission, review, probation and removal are decided by the WONE Global Standards Committee: Krishan Kakkar, Managing Director; Suman Arora, Director; and Kulpreet Yadav, Director. The people who look after Partnerships commercially do not sit on it, and they cannot waive the criteria or the service levels.
Why it matters
Independent partners, one method of working
The standard is what lets a business in one country rely on a WONE Global firm in another it has never met — because both work to the same rules.
Scope
What the standard does not cover
It does not make WONE Global your adviser
Advice comes from qualified independent firms. Each works under its own professional rules, regulator and terms of engagement.
It does not merge the firms
Each firm keeps its own identity, regulator, insurance and responsibility for its work. WONE Global coordinates; it does not practise.
It does not promise outcomes
It also does not promise that a named professional is in place for every service in every country. Where none is listed, WONE Global arranges one on request and tells you who it is first.
Concerns
How to raise a concern
Raise it first with the firm doing the work. If that doesn't resolve it, write to WONE Global and we will review it under this standard.
Related
- Professional responsibility →How responsibility for regulated work is allocated.
- Privacy →How your information is handled.
- For firms →What holding a WONE Global position involves.