Last updated: 23 October 2026
In its dealings with agencies across the globe, ATHELS adheres to exacting professional and ethical standards. The company reserves the unqualified right to take on or turn down any agency, an agency's client or a particular assignment, and is under no obligation to provide reasons for doing so.
When working in the name of an agency, ATHELS may be unaware of the end client. It is the agency that puts the end client's identity before us in confidence with the first brief. Should we choose to decline, that right extends to the end client as much as the agency. Any identity put forward is protected by our Privacy Policy and will not be used or made known.
As a United States firm, ATHELS abides by U.S. sanctions law. We do not undertake work, whether direct or indirect, for any person or entity on a U.S. sanctions list or one they own or control. An agency submitting a brief is confirming that it and the end client are not such persons or entities. ATHELS can request what is necessary to make sure of this and will refuse the work if the information is not forthcoming.
We will not accept business from any individual or entity that is:
Convicted of or party to crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide or serious human rights abuses as per international judicial decisions, documented convictions or facts of a reasonable certainty, as opposed to fleeting or unproven political claims.
Seeking to justify, obscure or rebrand repressive conduct, systematic violence toward civilians or ethnic and religious cleansing through reputation management, media repositioning or other communications meant to get around ethical or legal responsibility.
Employing communications to mislead the public, sidestep the law or render accountability meaningless.
ATHELS will not put out communications for those involved in an active armed conflict if the work would serve to justify or extend the violence, put a veneer on acts where the legal or ethical liability is in question, or shape public narratives to hide civilian suffering. This holds for public positioning in time of conflict, image management during military operations and any reframing of the discourse to diminish the human cost.
What we practice is humanitarian neutrality, not ethical neutrality. To pass on work in the midst of a conflict is a professional decision, not a circumstantial or tactical one.
If a brief or engagement runs counter to these principles, ATHELS can bring it to an end at any point without having to offer a full explanation. Any fees for work already turned in stand.