Regardless of the kind or size of your business, there are legal, regulatory, and compliance issues that you will have to contend with and observe. Failure to act in compliance with state and federal laws and statutes can result in large fines, lawsuits, and even the loss of your business license. However, most small businesses cannot afford to have a dedicated attorney on staff, let alone an in-house counsel department. That is where hiring outside general counsel can be a great option.

What is Outside General Counsel?

Outside general counsel are lawyers who work for your business on a contract basis, as opposed to full-time. This means you have a dedicated attorney or even a group of attorneys who is familiar with your business and available to help you establish a strong legal foundation for your business and whenever any legal issues come up. This also means that you will only need to pay for legal help when you need it, which makes it incredibly cost-effective. Outside general counsel is also flexible, as it generally does not require you to enter into a long-term contract or penalize you for severing the agreement which makes it far simpler than having an employee on the payroll 24-7.

Benefits of Outside General Counsel for Your Small Business

Many small businesses try to handle legal and compliance issues on their own to save money when they are starting out, but often this backfires and ends up costing them far more. It is simply not possible to know what you don’t know, and most small business owners are too busy to also brush up on all relevant state and federal employment, trade, compliance, and tax laws in addition to running and growing their business. It is always a good business decision to outsource to experts so that you can both play to your strengths. Additionally, outside counsel can help you to actively protect your business’s intellectual property and to enforce your rights against infringers. If a lawsuit or legal matter comes up, your outside counsel can handle it while you continue focusing on business as usual.

Lawyers who serve as external counsel are not only readily available, they are also incredibly efficient at what they do. Regardless of the legal matter that arises, your external counsel will be able to address it promptly and efficiently. From helping you determine what business structure is right for you to aid with compliance and even mergers, acquisitions, employee and vendor agreements, sales contracts, nondisclosure agreements, franchise agreements, intellectual property rights, lawsuits, litigation, and more, outside counsel can meet all of your business’s legal needs–even the ones you did not know that you had.

Contact the Carbon Law Group

If you are a business owner and want to make sure that your business is protected as you expand, the experienced business attorneys at the Carbon Law Group can provide dedicated external counsel services to help you grow, regardless of the legal issues that arise for your company. We can also help you avoid legal issues by anticipating and addressing them early on. Contact the Carbon Law Group today to schedule a consultation.