fractional general counsel

overview

After almost four years as General Counsel (GC) for a group of companies involved in transportation and auto racing, I gained great insight into the broad range of legal challenges faced by a nine-figure revenue business. My responsibilities included working with business leaders to ensure regulatory compliance, forming and directing litigation strategy, guiding the companies through complex transactions, and advising regarding employment and HR issues. I now do all of this and more as fractional GC for small to mid-sized businesses.

  • A fractional GC is an experienced attorney who provides GC services as a contractor on a part-time or as-needed basis. Fractional GC give a fraction of their time to several clients who want access to an on-call, dedicated legal resource who knows their business and has the experience to triage novel legal issues, plug a gap on a project team, manage litigation, or provide general legal advice on a range of topics.

  • Fractional GCs are often a good fit for:

    • Startups and small to mid-sized companies that need day-to-day or regular legal assistance, but don’t have the budget or workload to justify a full-time legal resource.

    • Businesses that seek a more cost-effective solution for recurring legal tasks, such as reviewing agreements or employment issues.

    • Busy executives without legal support who are afraid of missing a legal issue or are tired of managing legal matters in addition to their core responsibilities.

    • Companies who want to supplement their existing legal team with a senior resource to provide support during spikes in workload or leaves of absence or to provide subject matter expertise.

  • Most companies find a fractional GC to be a cost-effective solution compared to the salary, benefits, and overhead of a full-time employee or the cost of a partner at a full-service law firm. A fractional GC can provide improved predictability and control of legal costs, allowing businesses to leverage their full-service firm for legal issues that are significant or require expertise in a specific niche (e.g., patents, international trade, tax matters).

services

As a fractional GC, I can offer flexible solutions tailored to your specific needs. Depending on the need, fees can be structured on a retainer basis, as a flat-fee, or as an hourly or modified hourly arrangement. Let’s collaborate on a right-sized solution so you pay for only the legal services you need, while still receiving sound, timely legal advice.

The scope of my fractional GC services can be customized to your needs, but may include guidance on matters such as:

corporate governance

  • Entity formation and structuring

  • Drafting and maintaining bylaws, operating agreements, minutes, and board resolutions

  • Advising on fiduciary duties

  • Lease and purchase agreements

  • Nonpayment matters and collections

hr & employment

  • Drafting employee and contractor agreements, including non-compete provisions

  • Handbook and policy manual updates

  • Handling terminations and severance agreements

  • Advising on wage and hour compliance, leave laws, and workplace investigations

  • Education and training for team members

compliance

  • Assistance with federal, state, and local regulatory matters

  • Customer and vendor agreements

  • Drafting and implementing compliance policies (e.g., whistleblower, anti-corruption, data privacy)

  • Risk assessment and mitigation strategies

litigation assistance

  • Managing outside litigation counsel

  • Advising on pre-litigation strategy and settlement negotiations

  • Coordinating responses to subpoenas or government investigations

  • Reviewing pleadings and legal strategy with external counsel

contract review & management

  • Drafting and negotiating contracts such as vendor and supplier agreements, sales contracts, MSAs, and NDAs

  • Drafting LOIs and transaction documents

  • Developing standard contract templates and playbooks

  • Advising on contract disputes and interpretation