Q: What is an Outside General Counsel™?
A: Our fixed-fee Outside General Counsel™ offering is one way that we provide our clients with special financial value. The OGC model is intended to give small and mid-sized clients the benefits of a dedicated legal department and/or compliance staff at significantly lower costs through billing arrangements tailored to meet their specific needs. We work with them to understand their business model, industry, and strategic goals – like any good General Counsel would and should. The service benefit comes particularly from having a single point of contact for legal matters, and a team of dedicated lawyers who understand and get involved with the business at all levels, including working at your offices in some cases, all for a fixed fee. Fixed-fee billing eliminates concerns about usage of services, and encourages regular interaction with counsel, and our attendance at business meetings and earlier involvement in activities that prevent risk. In the case of several clients, we also serve as their corporate Secretaries, Chief Compliance Officers or compliance leads as part of an OGC offering.
Q: Can an Outside General Counsel™ solution be charged at an hourly rate (as compared to a fixed monthly fee)?
A: We offer clients real fixed-fee billing for Outside General Counsel™ engagements, which gives clients financial predictability and creates a true virtual law department. We determine the fixed fee based on a client’s individual needs, our experience, and national reference tools for law departments, and makes the entire firm available under the retainer. OGC is not a “retainer” relationship in which a client pays in advance for a given number of attorney hours – which only benefits the law firm, not the client. Some clients prefer a more traditional hourly services model, and we provide the same OGC solution at cost-effective rates that are a fraction of those commonly seen elsewhere in the marketplace.
Q: How would an OGC solution benefit my company?
A: An Outside General Counsel engagement would benefit your company in several ways. Our OC clients put high value in having on call a strategic counselor who knows their businesses, and who can manage risk in proactive ways. By proactively managing risk, they lower their cost of legal services and minimize unknown risks.
Q: My company has an internal legal department. Would an OGC solution benefit my company?
A: Captive legal departments often cannot cover all of the specialties that a company’s needs require, such as human resources/employment, trademarks and litigation. We can supplement your internal legal department with our experienced team whose skills sets span the gamut, on a fixed-fee basis in many cases.
Q: Where is OGC located, and who do you serve geographically?
A: Outside General Counsel Solutions has three main locations: our original location in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Our New Jersey business lawyers are located at 1 Gatehall Drive, Suite 100 Parsippany, NJ. Our New York business lawyers are located at 450 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2205, New York, NY 10123. Our Philadelphia business lawyers are located at Cira Centre, 2929 Arch Street, Suite 1700 Philadelphia, PA 19104. While our offices are based on the United States East coast, we serve business clients globally, and can effectively serve your international company.
Q: My company needs help with contract writing. Is that something that you offer?
A: Our NYC startup lawyers specialize in contract writing and litigation. Whether you need a new employment contract or you need defense during a breach of contract, we are here to serve you. We also have decades of experience as government contract lawyers at the state, federal, and local levels.
Q: Does OGC Solutions only work with businesses?
A: While we have many business clients, we also serve the following industries: education law, bankruptcy, litigation, real estate lawyers, copyright infringement, intellectual property, and other outside general counsel solutions.