Why Hire An Outside General Counsel?

 Posted on January 30, 2025 in Business Law

Legal challenges are par for the course when doing business, as is the need to protect the business from potential legal exposure. Whether it is drafting and reviewing vendor agreements, employment handbooks, or commercial leases, or whether it involves complying with relevant regulations or ensuring that corporate documents are accurate and up to date, businesses need legal advice often.  

Yet small and medium-sized businesses cannot often afford to have in-house legal help. That is why having a dedicated outside legal counsel such as the experienced Greenwich, CT business law attorneys at Ivey, Barnum & O'Mara, LLC, can be a wise financial and business decision.

What Does an Outside General Counsel Do?

An outside general counsel offers advice and legal representation on a wide range of legal issues, identifies legal concerns, and crafts a strategy to handle those concerns, including: 

• Drafting and reviewing various business contracts

• Advising on business disputes

• Implementing compliance programs

• Advising on employment law issues and ensuring compliance with federal and state law

• Drafting corporate documents 

• Representing the company during business litigation 

• Representing the company during mergers and acquisitions

• Advising on commercial leases

• Identifying legal issues before they become legal problems

Benefits of an Outside General Counsel

Cost Effective

An outside general counsel is far more cost-effective for a business than having to hire multiple law firms on an hourly basis. As we discuss below, because an outside general counsel knows your business inside out, they will tend to be more efficient, which is also more cost-effective.

Efficient

Having an outside general counsel is an efficient way to deal with legal issues. Because an outside counsel will have a working relationship with you and your team and a deep knowledge of your business, they will be equipped to offer advice much faster than someone just getting to know your particular legal concern.

Takes the Burden Off Management

By taking on the responsibility of dealing with all the legal issues that may come up in a business, the outside general counsel relieves management from dealing with these issues on a daily basis. That frees up non-lawyers to focus on business matters while the outside general counsel handles the legal issues.

No Need to Hire an Additional Employee

Having an outside general counsel versus hiring an inside general counsel also frees up the company from having to hire an employee to handle legal matters, which can also be expensive and time-consuming.

Contact a Metro New York Area General Counsel Lawyer

A general counsel not only knows your business from front to back but also has the experience and knowledge to advise on the myriad legal issues that arise on a near-daily basis. At Ivey, Barnum & O'Mara, LLC, our experienced Greenwich, CT business law attorneys offer general counsel services to companies. Call our offices at 203-661-6000 today to speak to an attorney about protecting your business.