I had a very helpful initial consultation with Ahmed who was gracious with his time and advice, and we discussed a retainer agreemeent that may or not be necessary. Regardless, I learned a lesson here and will engage an attorney from M&A from the outset next time and not assume I can successfully negotiate a verbal agreement. I encourage anyone who feels intimidated about requesting an initial consultation to give M&A a chance to help. I do not regret reaching out for help.