What is an Independent General Counsel?

An independent general counsel is an attorney who performs the services of a general counsel for a company on a contract basis. The independent general counsel is an independent contractor, not an employee or a law firm.

Growing companies want a lawyer to represent them in connection with business transactions as well as advice regarding day-to-day matters. Traditional methods of retaining legal service are not cost effective. Law firm overhead costs - for office space and support staff - limit a firm’s flexibility in fee-setting. Hiring an in-house counsel is also expensive after factoring in the benefits that are typical of employee status. Independent general counsel services offer a third option that many companies find attractive.

Independent general counsel are experienced senior business lawyers who provide legal services to only a handful of business clients. These attorneys work on an as-needed basis, either on site or off-site, as appropriate, to handle the company’s legal needs. Because their number of clients is limited, independent general counsel better understand the company’s business and goals and can render responsive and knowledgeable legal services that are tailored to the company.

• Fully-integrated lawyer available on an as-needed basis
• Sensitive to client’s business and legal concerns and needs
• Prompt “hands-on” and “on-site” response
• Frees management to run the business
• Cost-effective, avoiding many overhead expenses.
• No running meter
• More responsive and proactive legal advice

Your lawyer should be able to think beyond just minimizing risk – that is not a business strategy and provides little or no value. The independent general counsel knows how to approach a problem in light of your company’s overall business strategy.