Over the years, we have worked with many different businesses in an outside general counsel capacity. Our representation often started out as litigation counsel, and over time turned into outside general counsel. We have learned that in many circumstances, an attorney does not step into a situation until a corporate client is faced with a problem. This often results in increased legal fees, costs, time and energy. By being proactive, however, and retaining an attorney to act as the company’s outside general counsel, a business can avoid many major problems before they arise.
When we act as outside general counsel for our business clients, we become familiar with their businesses and how they operate. When we are familiar with the business, as well as the individual owners, members, shareholders, etc., we can create better strategies for protection of the business and determine issues that may come up. We work with our clients to come up with a plan that will work for their particular business. We have also started offering monthly fee arrangements so that the client knows what to expect financially with no surprises. Legal fees can be a great source of stress for business owners and may be a reason that they decide to try to handle certain things without the assistance of an attorney. With a set monthly fee for an agreed upon scope of services that is tailored to your business, you can be confident that your business is protected and not have to worry about the amount of the bill you will be receiving at the end of the month.
We offer our business clients a scope of services that can include the following:
- Review of corporate structure and possibly restructure to ensure maximum legal protection
- Draft employee handbooks and corporate policy on risk management
- Draft employment agreements, non-disclosure agreements and non-competition agreements
- Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts
- Advise regarding day to day operational issues
- Devise the best legal means to implement business goals
- Counsel officers and directors on fiduciary duties
- Regular meetings to keep clients updated and lines of communication open
- Trademark and other intellectual property protection
- Defend and/or prosecute all claims involving the corporate entity
- Maintain corporate records and corporate governance documentation
If you are a business owner, have you ever thought about hiring an attorney who can become familiar with your business, advise you on the best way to protect it and implement any number of the services listed above? We would be happy to explore that option with you and see if this plan is something that might work for your business – it could potentially save you time, energy and money in the long run!
Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls and communications. Contacting us, however, does not create an attorney-client relationship. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.
