Special Situations & Strategic Advisory

When political, regulatory or institutional pressure changes a critical business decision.

JPA advises boards, investors and senior executives when a transaction, negotiation or operating decision depends on conditions that legal and financial analysis alone cannot resolve.

We assess the actors, incentives and institutional constraints shaping the situation, test the available options and establish what requires a decision, by whom and when.

Our role is to bring political and institutional intelligence into the decision process, working alongside the client’s existing advisers and management team.

Defining special situations

We consider a situation “special” when political, regulatory or institutional conditions materially change the options available to the organisation:

• Regulatory or institutional pressure threatens a transaction, investment or operating model.

• Negotiations are blocked by interests, dependencies or constraints that are not fully understood.

• A compressed timetable requires decisions before all uncertainties can be resolved.

• Exposure extends beyond immediate financial impact to operational continuity, reputation or board accountability.

• Delaying the decision could close viable options or increase the cost of acting.

The task is to distinguish what is known, what remains uncertain and what must be decided before the organisation loses further room to act.

Where JPA Adds a Distinct Perspective

Legal, financial and operational advice remains essential. JPA adds an assessment of how political incentives, institutional behaviour and geopolitical developments could change the conditions on which that advice depends.

We focus on the questions that can alter the decision:

• Which actors can materially affect the outcome, and what shapes their behaviour?

• Which assumptions about regulation, counterparties or institutional support remain reliable?

• What could change before the transaction, negotiation or project reaches its next milestone?

• Which options remain viable, and under what conditions?

• What developments should trigger escalation or a change of course?

  The findings are translated into options, decision points and reporting for the executives or board members responsible for the matter.

Discuss a Special Situation

If a political, regulatory or institutional development could change a critical decision, start with the matter at hand: the asset or transaction, the jurisdictions involved and the next decision deadline.

We will establish whether JPA can contribute, review potential conflicts and define an appropriate scope. Confidentiality arrangements can be agreed before sensitive information is shared.

We accept a limited number of mandates by sector and region, subject to capacity and conflict review.

Beyond the Immediate Decision

Some situations end with a defined decision. Others reveal an exposure that continues after the transaction, negotiation or immediate pressure has passed.

Where that exposure persists, the mandate can extend into ongoing monitoring, executive reporting and scheduled reviews. We agree what must be watched, who receives the findings and which developments require management or board attention.

Explore What We Solve

Explore Strategic Outcomes — Explore selected examples of how JPA’s work has informed decisions, clarified exposure and supported action.

What the Mandate Delivers

Deliverables are agreed around the decision the client needs to make. Depending on the scope, they may include:

• A decision-focused assessment separating established facts, assumptions and unresolved questions.

• An actor and institutional map identifying relevant interests, dependencies and constraints.

• An options assessment setting out trade-offs, sequencing and conditions for proceeding.

• A board or executive briefing identifying the next decision points and outstanding risks.

• Monitoring indicators and escalation thresholds where the exposure continues.

Deliverables, responsibilities, timing, confidentiality arrangements and exclusions are agreed before work begins..

How We Intervine

Each mandate starts with a defined decision, exposure and timetable. We establish what the client’s teams and advisers already cover, where further assessment is needed and who will use the findings.

Depending on the situation, our work may include:

• Rapid assessment of the situation, including information gaps and competing interpretations.

• Mapping of relevant actors, interests, institutional constraints and dependencies.

• Assessment of political and regulatory developments affecting the available options.

• Scenario testing, including the implications of acting, delaying or changing course.

• Confidential briefings for management, investment committees or boards.

The scope identifies the recipients, sources and limitations of the assessment, reporting arrangements and matters requiring escalation.

Please do not submit sensitive documents through the contact form.