sophisticated counterparties and some of the largest private equity sponsors. He brings that same rigor, deal discipline, and strategic perspective to clients who often lack access to that level of experience without engaging a large law firm.

Arash launched Aubrey Payton with a deliberate objective: translate the sophistication, precision, and commercial pragmatism of large-firm private equity work into a founder-aligned platform designed to help operators and business owners build durable companies, execute strategic transactions, and optimize after-tax outcomes. In practice, this means serving as a strategic partner, not a reactive service provider—helping clients anticipate issues, identify opportunities, and make decisions with a clear understanding of both legal risk and economic consequences.

The firm’s core philosophy, above all, is to build and maintain long-lasting partnerships with clients. Aubrey Payton measures success by sustained client outcomes and by adding value in a manner that clients can readily quantify as a return on investment in the strategic partnership—whether through improved deal terms, reduced risk, increased transactional efficiency, or better-aligned tax and governance structuring.

Aubrey Payton embraces a modern, technology-forward operating model. The firm integrates Ai-enabled workflows and other advanced tools to increase speed, consistency, and analytical throughput—while maintaining the judgment, confidentiality, and quality controls required for high-stakes corporate and tax work. This approach allows the firm to deliver efficient execution without sacrificing sophistication, and to allocate more time to what matters most: strategy, negotiation, and outcome-oriented counseling.

Consistent with that efficiency mandate, Aubrey Payton prioritizes alternative fee arrangements and fixed-fee engagement structures when appropriate, rather than relying on the traditional tenth-of-an-hour billing model. The firm views time-based billing as structurally misaligned with client interests in many contexts because it can reward inefficiency and obscure the true economics of a matter. Instead, Aubrey Payton focuses on transparent pricing that aligns incentives around outcomes, scope clarity, and execution quality.

Above all, the firm’s approach is proactive: identify risks before they crystallize, surface planning opportunities before they are foreclosed, and propose clear, implementable solutions that balance legal enforceability, tax efficiency, and business objectives. Clients engage Aubrey Payton for counsel with founder-oriented alignment, high judgment, practical execution, and strategic advice that advances the client’s goals rather than merely documenting them.