In the market for outside general counsel? You’re not alone. Many small- and mid-size businesses opt for outside general counsel, rather than in-house attorneys, to manage their legal needs. But not all law firms that provide outside general counsel services are created equally. One prime example: Outside General Counsel ™ Solutions, a New Jersey-based law firm with offices in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York. “Our clients have a very different experience working with us as their Outside General Counsel™ versus a traditional outside general counsel partner,” says Christopher Santomassimo, founding partner. “The difference is clear. Not only are we more cost-effective than traditional firms, but also the way we interact with clients makes us a valuable partner that helps them grow their businesses rather than just someone who’s brought in to put out fires and perform ’general’ legal work.”
When searching for an outside general counsel provider, it’s important to examine several factors, including cost, expertise, and how the firm builds relationships with its clients. Here’s a quick snapshot of the key differences between a typical law firm’s outside general counsel offerings versus what Outside General Counsel ™ Solutions provides:
Typical Law Firm Offering Outside General Counsel:
Cost: Clients pay hefty monthly retainers for a specific number of attorney hours, or are forced to pay by the hour at high rates.
Expertise: Customers have access to one or a small number of attorneys with narrow skillsets.
Relationships: Attorneys have limited interaction with their clients and are often only called upon to handle emergencies.
Outside General Counsel™ Solutions:
Cost: Clients can choose between a fixed monthly fee based on their individual needs, rather than a traditional retainer fee, which allows for financial predictability; or pay competitive hourly rates.
Expertise: Customers have access to the firm’s complete team of 16 attorneys, who have a deep expertise that runs the gamut, including:
-Advising and counseling management teams and boards of directors
–Employment labor and employee relations and litigation
-Contract preparation, review, and negotiation
–Commercial litigation and arbitration
–Corporate and transactional counseling
–Insurance coverage and claims
-Mergers and acquisitions
-Dispute resolution
-Products liability
-Environmental counseling
Process: Once a customer engages Outside General Counsel™ Solutions, the law firm launches its 90-Day Attack Plan, where attorneys are embedded into every aspect of their client’s businesses.
Relationships: Attorneys are an extension of their client’s teams and are proactive in solving problems before they become emergencies.
How Can You Benefit From Outside General Counsel ™ Solutions?
A shining example of a company that is reaping the benefits of Outside General Counsel ™ Solutions’ cost-effective, team approach is a multinational electronic components and printer manufacturing company. The firm initially retained Outside General Counsel™ Solutions to handle a sensitive employee termination. But as the law firm’s attorneys became embedded within the company, they have been able to advise on a host of other issues, ranging from private-label agreements, minimum advertised price policies, and manufacturing agreements. “We leveraged our entire portfolio of skillsets to help the company in every aspect of its business,” says Santomassimo. “That’s something that many outside general counsel providers simply don’t do.”
The bottom line? “Do your homework before engaging with an outside general counselor provider,” Santomassimo advises. “If you’re looking for a cost-effective legal partner with unmatched expertise and a proven process to help clients build their businesses, Outside General Counsel™ Solutions is the obvious choice.”
Hire Outside General Counsel ™ Solutions
Contact us to discuss how Outside General Counsel™ Solutions can provide a virtual legal department for your company.
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