3 Key Reasons To Hire Outside General Counsel ™
The OGC™ Advantage
Cost-effective. Proactive. A trusted partner. These are some of the terms that clients regularly use to describe Outside General Counsel ™ solutions, a New Jersey-based law firm with offices in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York. All of our offices provide clients with a virtual legal department for a fixed monthly fee.
“Our team approach and integration process mean we can help solve issues before they become problems,” says Christopher Santomassimo, founding partner. “We do so in a way that is tremendously cost-effective.”
OGC Solution’s unique and compelling approach to providing legal assistance is revolutionizing the marketplace. Here are 3 key reasons to consider when hiring outside general counsel:
OGC Attack Plan
The moment a company hires Outside General Counsel™ solutions, the firm launches its 90-Day OGC Attack Plan™. Here we embed our entire team of 15 seasoned, business-minded attorneys into every aspect of the client’s business. The lawyers attend executive meetings and develop deep relationships with leaders across the company, from HR to sales to finance. The result? “We become an extension of your team who can advise you on all aspects of your business,” Santomassimo says.
One example: Santomassimo was recently reviewing a contract from a client who was looking to sell a piece of equipment. When the would-be buyer’s lawyer objected to the changes Santomassimo wanted to make to the document, he immediately picked up the phone and orchestrated a meeting between his client and the buyer’s attorney. “I led the whole conversation,” says Santomassimo, who was able to tweak the contract, so it satisfied both buyer and seller. “Because we were already embedded in my client’s company, he had a really good comfort level with me. He knew I wasn’t going to be a typical lawyer who might come in and blow up the deal.
“That’s the kind of comfort level our clients have with us,” Santomassimo says. “They feel like we’re one of them.”
15 Attorneys, 15 Skill Sets
When some companies seek outside counsel, they’re forced to choose a single legal advisor with a specific skill set. That’s a big differentiator with Outside General Counsel™ solutions. The team’s expertise runs the gamut, from contracts to employment law; from managing customer disputes to managing global trademark portfolios; leasing, acquiring, and disposing of commercial and industrial real estate; and commercial litigation and trials.
Recently, Outside General Counsel™ solutions’ team approach appealed to a large government defense contractor who had the need for general legal services, as well as expertise in insurance coverage and export control. “They were thinking about hiring an in-house lawyer but found it difficult to find one person who had expertise in all of those areas,” Santomassimo says. “We were able to give them what they weren’t able to find anywhere else.”
Outside General Counsel ™ At A Fixed Fee
Outside General Counsel ™ with a fixed fee is a cost-effective solution that gives clients financial predictability. The firm determines the fixed fee based on a client’s individual needs, rather than a traditional retainer fee, where the client pays a significant upfront fee for a specific number of attorney hours.
Santomassimo estimates that his firm’s hourly rates are one-third or less than the rates of other large firms in the Tri-State area.
One of the firm’s oldest clients, a global manufacturing company, was able to save approximately 40 percent in legal costs when it replaced its limited in-house department, which consisted of a single general counsel, with the team from Outside General Counsel™.
While clients appreciate the cost savings, Santomassimo says the monthly retainer also provides the OGC™ team with the opportunity “to really learn your business.
“Clients engage us much more often and earlier, way before a problem becomes an emergency,” he says. The result: “Instead of just putting out fires, we’re helping you grow your business.”
Hire Santomassimo Davis LLP As Your Outside General Counsel ™
Contact us to discuss how an Outside General Counsel™ solution will create a virtual legal department for your company.
