Before you get attorney's involved, is your friend talking to some junior person or someone who can actually make a decision? More often than the general public speaks to a resource who isn't authorized to facilitate these types of requests. If that's not the case, I would follow Dan's advice.
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"100 victories in 100 battles isnt the most skillful. Subduing the other's military w/o battle is the most skillful." Sun-Tzu