Proactive Management Support. 

Van Osdol’s Outside General Counsel Program provides small and middle-market businesses and non-profit organizations with the support of an experienced in-house lawyer, on a fractional basis, at a predictable cost.

We have found that some business owners hesitate to contact an attorney before they take actions that may have significant legal consequences.  This is often because they don’t have the time to bring the attorney up to speed on their business, don‘t believe their attorneys understand their business objectives, and don’t want to incur the hourly cost of involving attorneys in assessing the risk of a lawsuit that might never be filed, or in evaluating a transaction that may not proceed.  Our OGC program incentivizes clients to bring us into these matters early, without concerns about cost, learning curves, or trust.  We consult with management in these “pre-legal” matters, so that your organization can develop strategies and initially assess opportunities in light of the legal issues as well as the business issues that surround any action.  The OGC program also includes a systematic review of your organization’s legal exposure in its commercial forms and processes, employment practices and other important areas.  The OGC program includes regular telephone and face-to-face meetings with clients so our attorneys stay updated on their business and provide proactive advice to keep organizations functioning smoothly.

Predictable Flat-Fee Base Services. 

Our base OGC services are provided on a monthly flat-fee retainer basis.  That fee is determined after an assessment of the complexity of the client’s business and the amount of time each month our attorneys are likely to devote to the representation.

Core Services Included.   As your organization’s Outside General Counsel (OGC), our firm will provide the same legal services and management support as a regular in-house attorney would normally provide, but on a fractional basis.  The scope of the engagement can be tailored to the client’s needs, but generally includes the following services:

1. Advice on formation, administration, and governance matters for limited liability companies, partnerships, and corporations, and on non-public securities matters. This includes preparation of routine annual consents, filing of annual reports, and serving as your registered agent in Missouri and Kansas
2. Legal review of existing material commercial contracts and advice on negotiating and pre-execution review of new commercial contracts.
3. An initial audit of, and modifications (if necessary) to your forms, bid sheets, contracts, marketing materials, and the other standardized communications used in your business.
4. Review of your employee policies and handbooks, and general employment law counselling.
5. General regulatory research and advice.
6. Real estate representation (leases, licenses, and easements affecting your business real estate).
7. General advice on confidentiality issues, trade secret protection, trademarks, and copyright matters (but not patents).
8. Assessment of threatened litigation and strategic advice on potential commercial, employment and transactional disputes.

Cost Effective Additional Services.  When the need for specialized legal services arises – the sort of services that even an in-house lawyer would seek outside legal help with – the OGC program provides additional benefits.  OGC clients receive preferential rates on additional services that are 10% lower than our attorneys’ standard rates.  But perhaps there is a more important benefit that cannot necessarily be quantified.  When a new project outside the OGC program arises, our firm already knows the client’s business.  They will not face the delays associated with getting a new firm familiar with the legal issues and the business context in which they must be addressed.  Also, our OGC clients know that our firm values the whole client relationship, and will approach additional services with that relationship in mind instead of seeking to generate fees on a “one-and-done” project.

Reliable Referrals and Trusted Oversight for Outside Counsel.  Although we are a full-service firm, there are certain highly specialized matters that we are not well-suited to handle efficiently, such as patent work, debtor representation in bankruptcy, public securities matters, and local counsel services in states for which we do not have licensed attorneys.  When these matters arise, we can assist our OGC clients in placing these matters with qualified mid-sized firms through our Legal Netlink Alliance (LNA) network.  The LNA network is a worldwide collaboration of small and mid-size firms committed, like Van Osdol, to affordable and responsive client service.  As part of our OGC services, we will remain involved in matters referred to other firms to ensure they are handled efficiently, by organizing the matters for referral, assisting the referred counsel in understanding the client and business context, and reviewing legal strategies and billings to make sure the referred matter is handled efficiently.

The Van Osdol Advantage

Attorneys in our Outside General Counsel Program, like all Van Osdol attorneys, work as a team—applying their combined experiences, perspectives and skills to find creative solutions for our clients. You can count on personal, attentive service every time.

Contact any of our OGC program attorneys to learn more about how we can help you.