Balancing Your Legal Needs With Business Realities.
“I wish I had another lawyer to dig in on the stuff I can’t get to.” Spruce Law’s industry experts have served as adjunct members of the General Counsel’s office of numerous companies, both public and private. In-house counsel has leveraged to us for important initiatives and discrete scopes of work such as overhauling the company’s forms directory and contracting processes, serve as national leasing and real estate counsel, and serve as an international company’s local counsel for all environmental affairs for the Mid-Atlantic region.
At Spruce Law, we know that every dollar spent on legal services is a lost opportunity to reinvest in your business. We also understand that you might like greater attention to be paid to your agreements, business arrangements, employment matters, and operations, but you need to budget your legal spend rather than enter the realm of the unknown with every legal engagement. Spruce Law’s Customized In-House Counsel Support Services programs offer a solution to the impersonal, “one-size-fits-all” approach that is over-used by traditional law firms.
When Customized In-House Counsel Support is Right for You.
You do not have enough legal work to justify another full-time, in-house counsel, but your legal needs are becoming more significant and/or cumbersome.
You need a legal concierge to manage certain legal needs to “free up” your time to focus on areas that require your in-house and GC attention.
Your company is about to enter a period of time, or new venture, where your legal needs will increase temporarily.
You want to budget and/or reduce your legal expenditures.
You want a seasoned in-house counsel on call without the overhead of another employee.
You want the comfort of having a trusted advisor who you can call to help you…without the worry of unknown cost.
You would like to arrange for a set price for “in-scope” in-house counsel services paid monthly, but with predictable, more affordable rates for variable out-of-scope work as well.
You would like a trained, experienced former in-house counsel to work with you to reduce your overall legal expenditure on recurring legal needs such as employment issues, HES issues, general contracting arrangements, and routine disputes such as collections on accounts receivables.
You need to protect your business as it grows, without legal expenditures becoming too much of your budget.
You frequently receive contracts or purchase orders that have little difference between them and you need help deciphering what is really important or potentially problematic.
You need someone to help review hiring and termination events as they happen.
Leverage Our In-House Experience.
Several of our attorneys have served as in-house counsel for companies of varying sizes and across a multitude of industries. The knowledge we have gained through our years of experience, coupled with Spruce Law’s innovative, low overhead model, makes us uniquely suited to work with you to design a customized support program or an alternative billing arrangement that meets your needs as General or In-House Counsel. By working with our experienced attorneys, you will know with certainty when something really needs legal review or intervention. You will tap into our mature web of legal industry contacts to get the right lawyer for the job, at the right value for your business, every time!
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Company A
has been forced to downsize its legal department. However, its legal needs have not lessened. It would like a seasoned in-house legal counsel who can field questions in a certain area on a day-to-day basis without incurring the cost and benefits of another full-time employee for this expertise. Its GC is looking for an experienced counsel who he/she can trust to advise on certain legal issues and keep him/her informed.
Company B
GC encounters certain legal issues from time to time, which can interfere with his/her handling of more pressing, high-profile issues. He/she needs responsive legal counsel to handle these matters as they arise and have the confidence they will be handled efficiently, by counsel skilled in this area of law, and by someone who understands the business implications of the outcome.
Company C
has need for an in-house legal counsel in a new area of the company’s business. The GC is unsure how long the need for this counsel will exist and does not wish to hire a full-time employee. He/she wants a trusted advisor to interface with clients, who understand the issues and their impact on the business, and who can handle them in a way that supports him/her in his/her role as GC.
Company D’s
in-house counsel has just been assigned a new area of the company’s business. While seasoned at handling other company initiatives, he/she has little experience with this new capability. Therefore, he/she needs someone to help with the existing legal work and to handle legal issues during the immersion process for this new area, all the while helping to balance the other in-house responsibilities.
These are all scenarios where Spruce Law attorneys have provided valuable assistance to support General Counsel’s offices. We provide attorneys skilled at the issues you encounter in a manner that supports you in your in-house or GC role. We perform at a predictable, value-driven billing arrangements to help with your predictability of costs. We are here to help you to accomplish your goals in-house and the goals of your client.
“The experienced and multidisciplinary bench at Spruce has offered coverage for many of our core legal needs in the U.S. market. They have responded well to the changing requirements of our business by adapting and customising our engagement structure. Importantly, our team leader at Spruce has helped us monitor and budget our legal spend.”
Joel Hanson, General Counsel, CRF Health