Terms of Service

Section 01

Agreement to Terms

By engaging A·D·S Consultancy LLC ("Company," "we," "us," or "our") for any consulting services — whether via email, phone, booking link, or a signed statement of work — you ("Client") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.

If you do not agree with any part of these terms, please do not proceed with an engagement. These terms supersede any prior verbal or written understandings unless a separate, signed contract explicitly overrides them.

Section 02

Services Provided

A·D·S Consultancy LLC provides professional technology consulting services including, but not limited to:

• Cloud migration strategy and execution guidance
• Data security assessment and remediation planning
• Data protection, backup, and disaster recovery advisory
• Generative AI and RAG pipeline deployment
• Database design, SQL optimization, and performance tuning
• Observability and systems monitoring (eBPF-based)
• Agile/DevOps-aligned software development advisory

Section 03

Engagement & Billing

Engagements are governed by the rates published on adsconsult.us/pricing unless a separate Statement of Work (SOW) specifies different terms. Current standard rates are:

• Introductory mutual fit meeting (1 hr) — $0, subject to availability
• First block up to 40 hours — $240/hr, billed at project start
• Extended engagement (40+ hours) — $220/hr
• Ad hoc / short-term (under 40 hours) — $300/hr

Invoices are due within 15 days of issuance unless otherwise agreed in writing. Late payments beyond 30 days may be subject to a 1.5% monthly finance charge.

Section 04

Confidentiality

We treat all Client data, systems information, business processes, and strategies as strictly confidential. We will not disclose, sell, or share any Client information with third parties, except as required by law or with your explicit written consent.

Clients are similarly expected to keep proprietary methodologies, tools, frameworks, and deliverables developed by A·D·S Consultancy confidential and may not reproduce or redistribute them without written permission.

Section 05

Intellectual Property

Upon full payment of all invoices, the Client receives a non-exclusive license to use all deliverables produced specifically for that engagement. A·D·S Consultancy retains ownership of all underlying frameworks, templates, methodologies, and general-purpose tools developed or used during the engagement.

We reserve the right to reference the engagement in anonymized case studies or proposals unless the Client specifically requests otherwise in writing prior to project commencement.

Section 06

Client Responsibilities

To ensure a successful engagement, the Client agrees to:

• Provide timely access to systems, data, and relevant personnel
• Designate a primary point of contact for all project communications
• Review and provide feedback on deliverables within agreed timelines
• Ensure all shared credentials and access are revoked upon project completion
• Comply with all applicable laws regarding data handling and privacy

Delays caused by the Client's failure to meet these responsibilities may result in revised timelines and additional billing at the applicable hourly rate.

Section 07

Limitation of Liability

A·D·S Consultancy LLC provides advisory and consulting services. We are not liable for decisions made by the Client based on our recommendations, nor for outcomes arising from the Client's implementation of those recommendations without our direct involvement.

In no event shall our total liability for any claim arising out of an engagement exceed the total fees paid by the Client for that specific engagement. We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages.

Section 08

Termination

Either party may terminate an engagement with 14 days' written notice. The Client is responsible for payment of all work completed through the termination date. Prepaid hours for a project block that remain unused at termination will be refunded on a pro-rated basis at the applicable rate.

We reserve the right to terminate immediately and without refund if the Client engages in unlawful activity, materially breaches these terms, or creates a hostile or unsafe working environment.

Section 09

Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Any disputes arising from an engagement shall first be pursued through good-faith negotiation. If unresolved, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, under the rules of the American Arbitration Association.

Section 10

Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. The current version will always be published at adsconsult.us/terms with the effective date noted at the top. Continued engagement after a material change constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

For active engagements governed by a signed SOW, the SOW terms take precedence over any conflicting terms published here.