Most small and mid-sized businesses reach a point where legal questions come up faster than they can Google their way through them. A contract needs review before a big deal closes. An employee situation gets complicated. A vendor relationship goes sideways. At some point, the question shifts from “do we need a lawyer for this one thing?” to “should we have a lawyer we can call regularly?”
That’s the gap that outside general counsel is built to fill — legal support that functions like an in-house legal department, without the overhead of hiring one.
What Is Outside General Counsel?
Outside general counsel (sometimes called “fractional” or “offsite” general counsel) is a contracted attorney relationship where a law firm becomes familiar with your business and is available to advise on legal matters as they come up — from routine contract review to bigger strategic decisions — without the cost of a full-time in-house attorney on payroll.
At Dorman Bell, this looks like a collaborative, team-based partnership. We take the time to understand your business, and we work with your management to build a plan tailored to how your company actually operates, rather than a one-size-fits-all retainer.
7 Signs It Might Be Time
1. You’re reviewing contracts without legal input. If contracts are getting signed based on a quick read-through rather than a legal review, you’re carrying risk you may not even be aware of.
2. Legal questions are piling up and getting answered “later.” When “I’ll ask a lawyer about that eventually” becomes a regular refrain around the office, it’s usually a sign you need more consistent access to counsel — not just a one-off consultation.
3. You’re negotiating with new parties regularly. A business that repeats the same deal with the same vendor might only need legal input a few times a year. A business continuously negotiating with new partners, vendors, or customers benefits from having counsel available on a more frequent basis.
4. You’ve had a close call with an employment or HR issue. Employment law mistakes are some of the most expensive a growing business can make. If you don’t have a policy for handling these situations before they happen, our Outside Human Resources support can work alongside general counsel to help you get ahead of them.
5. You’re growing faster than your internal processes. Rapid growth often outpaces the governance documents, policies, and contracts a business started with. Ongoing counsel helps make sure your legal foundation grows with you — see our Maintaining Your Business services.
6. You’ve been threatened with — or are facing — a dispute. If a disagreement with a partner, customer, or competitor is heading toward a dispute, having counsel who already knows your business puts you in a far stronger position than starting from scratch with litigation counsel after the fact. Learn more about how we handle these situations under Litigation and Protecting Your Business.
7. You use software, apps, or store customer data. Businesses that rely on software licensing, SaaS agreements, or handle customer data have ongoing compliance obligations that benefit from regular legal check-ins. Our Software Compliance service pairs well with general counsel arrangements for businesses in this position.
How the Relationship Works
Outside general counsel isn’t a one-size-fits-all subscription. At Dorman Bell, the level of access is flexible and generally set based on your business’s needs:
- Some clients only need periodic access — a few check-ins a year for recurring matters like routine contracts.
- Others, particularly fast-growing startups negotiating deals regularly, benefit from weekly or even daily access.
Either way, the goal is the same: you get an attorney who already understands your business, so you’re not re-explaining your company from scratch every time a legal question comes up — and you’re not paying for a full-time position you don’t yet need.
Why Businesses Choose Dorman Bell
We built our firm around a boutique model specifically because we believe smaller businesses deserve the same quality of counsel as large corporations with in-house legal departments — without the price tag. If you’re weighing whether it’s time to bring on outside general counsel, it often makes sense to start the conversation before a crisis forces the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is outside general counsel different from hiring a lawyer for a one-time issue? A one-time engagement addresses a single matter and ends when it’s resolved. Outside general counsel is an ongoing relationship — your attorney becomes familiar with your business over time, which usually means faster, more informed advice and fewer surprises.
Is outside general counsel only for larger companies? No. It’s often most valuable for small and growing businesses that face regular legal questions but don’t yet have the volume of work — or budget — to justify a full-time in-house attorney.
How much access do I get with an outside general counsel arrangement? Access is customized to your business. Some clients need only periodic support for recurring matters; others need weekly or daily availability. We build the plan around how your business actually operates.
Does outside general counsel replace the need for litigation counsel if a lawsuit happens? Not necessarily, but having outside general counsel already familiar with your business gives your litigation team a significant head start if a dispute does arise. Our firm can often handle both, since your general counsel already understands the full history of the matter.
Can outside general counsel help with day-to-day HR and employment questions? Yes — many of our general counsel clients pair this service with our Outside Human Resources support so employment questions get answered before they turn into disputes.
What does it cost compared to hiring in-house counsel? Costs vary based on the level of access your business needs, but outside general counsel is generally structured to be significantly more cost-effective than a full-time salaried attorney with benefits. We work with clients to build a fee plan that fits their budget.