Settlement agreements, mutual releases, consent judgments, mediation agreements. I identify hidden releases, overbroad confidentiality clauses, tax traps, and terms that give away more than you intended.
Not sure? Email me the settlement agreement and I will recommend the right tier.
Rush turnaround: Rush 24-48 hour turnaround may be available for an added fee. Email the agreement first; I will confirm rush feasibility before you pay.
These are anonymized examples from recent client work. Every review is done by me personally, not by AI and not by a paralegal.
Employer offered $30K settlement with blanket release. Found it waived pending EEOC claims. Negotiated carve-out and increased payment to $47K.
Settlement for $15K in unpaid invoices included perpetual non-disparagement. Narrowed non-disparagement to mutual and time-limited. Added attorney fees provision.
Landlord offered $2K on $4.2K deposit. Flagged that release waived right to statutory penalties under CC ยง1950.5. Got full deposit plus $1,500 penalties.
50/50 partnership dissolution. Found IP assignment clause buried in release that transferred client trademarks to departing partner. Removed it, saved $200K+ in IP value.
Every settlement is different, but these are the areas where I consistently find risk that clients did not expect.
Email the agreement as PDF, Word, or even a photo. Tell me your concerns and what you are trying to accomplish.
I reply with the recommended tier, the flat fee, and the turnaround time. No work starts until you approve.
You get a marked-up copy with risks highlighted, release scope analysis, tax implications flagged, and a plain-English explanation of what you are agreeing to.
I explain what to push back on and how. If you need the clauses rewritten, I handle that in the Review + Revision tier.
Send me the settlement agreement. I will confirm the right tier, the fee, and what I need from you.
Send Me Your Settlement Agreement →700+ reviews on Upwork
"I was about to sign a settlement agreement that looked fine on the surface. Sergei found a clause that would have waived my pending workers' comp claim. He negotiated a carve-out and got the payment increased. Worth every penny."
"Sergei reviewed our partnership dissolution settlement and caught a buried IP assignment clause that would have transferred our trademarks to my ex-partner. He drafted replacement language and saved us over $200K in IP value. Highly recommend."
"Needed a fast review of a settlement offer from my landlord. Sergei identified that the release waived my statutory penalty rights under California law. I pushed back and got $1,500 more. Two business day turnaround, clear written advice."
Written Email Evaluation ($125): I read the settlement agreement (up to 30 pages), identify the highest-risk clauses, and send a written attorney evaluation with plain-English risk summary and California-specific issues flagged. Two business day turnaround. No redrafting at this tier. Create or Redline Existing Contract ($575): I review every clause, analyze the scope of the release, flag tax implications, check California law compliance, and deliver redlined edits plus a clean recommended version. Includes up to three rounds of email-based revisions. Unusual scope (complex multi-party releases, extended negotiation, post-settlement disputes) is billed at $240 per hour.
Written Email Evaluation: 2 business days from receipt. Create or Redline Existing Contract: usually 3-5 business days from receipt of the agreement and any context, depending on length and complexity. Rush 24-48 hour turnaround may be available for an added fee on either tier. Email the agreement first and I will confirm rush feasibility before you pay. If a complex matter genuinely needs more time, I will tell you up front.
I review employment dispute settlements, contractor payment disputes, landlord-tenant settlements, business dissolution agreements, partnership buyouts, personal injury settlements, separation agreements, mutual releases, and most civil settlement agreements. If you have a settlement agreement, I can likely review it.
Yes. The $575 Create or Redline tier includes redlined replacement language you can send directly to the other side, plus negotiation guidance explaining which points are worth pushing on. Up to three rounds of email-based revisions are included at the flat fee. If you need me to engage directly with the counterparty's attorney by email or phone, that can be arranged at $240 per hour.
The most common issues I find are overbroad release language waiving claims the client did not know they had, confidentiality clauses that restrict too much, tax traps where settlement payments are structured incorrectly (1099 vs W-2), and payment terms that favor the other side. I also frequently find non-disparagement clauses that are one-sided or perpetual.
No. You should send me the settlement agreement BEFORE signing. Once you sign, it is too late to negotiate better terms. I review the agreement, identify problematic clauses, and help you negotiate changes before you commit. The whole point is to catch issues before you are bound.