Fractional general counsel
Long term legal counsel for companies that need regular support without a full time in house legal department.
Clients who use our outside general counsel services are looking for a long term legal partner, but are not yet ready to incur the cost of a full time in house legal team. We help owners and management teams identify priorities and address legal issues before they become disruptive.
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Types of matters we handle as outside general counsel
The types of matters we handle in a fractional general counsel relationship vary depending on the needs of each client’s business, and may change over time. We work with our clients to establish a level of support that meets their needs evolve.
Contract matters
We represent clients in a broad range of contractual matters, including drafting and negotiating agreements, developing repeatable contracting processes, and addressing obligations under existing agreements.
These matters may involve relationships with customers, vendors, business partners, independent contractors, employees, and other important parties.
Employment matters
We advise clients on the federal and state employment issues affecting their workforces.
Our work includes compliance, hiring practices, discipline, termination, workplace policies and handbooks, investigations, employee classification, wage and hour issues, attendance and leave, restrictive covenants, employee performance concerns, and workplace safety.
Corporate governance
We advise clients on corporate governance issues that arise as businesses grow, ownership changes, and management responsibilities evolve.
This includes maintaining accurate corporate records, addressing applicable statutory requirements, drafting and negotiating ownership agreements, and advising on management authority and decision making as the business grows.
Advisory services
Clients often contact us when a business problem has legal implications. We listen to the problem, identify the issues that matter, and help owners and management teams understand their obligations, options, and practical paths forward.
This may involve employment decisions, contract questions, customer or vendor issues, disputes, ownership changes, executive hiring, equity arrangements, succession planning, or other problems that arise as a business operates and evolves. We provide clear advice that helps clients decide what to do next.
Related practices
Employment & Labor
Corporate Governance
Dispute Resolution
Business & Commercial Transactions
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions business owners and executives often ask before working with us.
What is a fractional general counsel and is it the same as outside general counsel?
Fractional general counsel and outside general counsel describe the same type of relationship and are used interchangeably.
A fractional or outside general counsel is a senior attorney who serves as a company’s general counsel on an ongoing, part-time basis rather than as a full-time employee. The relationship is designed for companies that need regular legal guidance and a lawyer who understands their business, management structure, risk tolerance, and priorities, but do not yet need or want to hire a full time in house general counsel.
Traditionally attorneys have been engaged for a specific matters like a contract, dispute, transaction, or other discrete matter. By contrast, a fractional general counsel works with the client more closely and regularly, and develops an ongoing understanding of the business, much like a full time in house general counsel. That context allows the attorney to provide more precise business oriented legal advice, identify legal issues as they arise, help management identify priorities, address recurring legal needs, and provide practical guidance before problems become more difficult or disruptive.
Our clients tell us that one of the primary benefits of working with us as outside general counsel is the depth of our understanding of their priorities and goals. That understanding has led to our advice being more informed by the broader direction of the company, and has resulted in our clients making better legal and business decisions over time. Over months and years our legal strategy better supports the business, much like the financial, marketing, sales, and operations strategies support its ultimate objectives.
In practical terms, a fractional or outside general counsel serves as an ongoing legal partner for the business. The relationship gives owners and management teams a consistent point of contact for legal questions and business decisions without requiring the company to hire a full time general counsel. The scope and level of support are established around the company’s needs and may change as the business evolves.
What types of companies benefit from fractional general counsel support?
Fractional general counsel support is often a good fit for established, privately held businesses with meaningful revenue and recurring legal needs, that don’t have an in house legal team.
Many of our clients are businesses that have outgrown relying on occasional legal assistance due to the nature of their operations, their workforce size, or the volume and importance of their business relationships with vendors, customers, and other business partners. In some cases, those relationships have become too significant for the business to manage without attorney guidance.
What locations do you serve, and can you work with us if we have operations outside the State of Illinois?
The majority of our clients are based in greater Chicago and Rockford, but we work with businesses throughout the State of Illinois.
We frequently represent Illinois based companies that have operations outside of the state. We often advise clients on out of state matters and coordinate with counsel from other jurisdictions as necessary.
We also represent businesses based outside of Illinois in matters involving Illinois law, operations, contracts, and business relationships.
How do I know whether my company needs fractional general counsel or occasional legal help?
Fractional general counsel support is often a good fit for established, privately held businesses with meaningful revenue and recurring legal needs, that don’t have an in house legal team. If your company fits this description it is worth considering.
Many successful businesses will reach that point gradually. They may begin with individual matters, then move to occasional ongoing support before eventually needing a more regular outside general counsel relationship.
The key question is whether regular counsel would help the business make better decisions and manage legal issues more effectively.
How is an outside general counsel relationship structured, billed, and adjusted over time?
Our outside general counsel relationships are typically structured around a recurring monthly or quarterly flat fee. The fee is determined by the level of support needed, including the nature and frequency expected at the outset of the relationship.
Because a company’s legal needs change as it grows, the scope and fee may be revisited over time. We discuss changes in the company’s operations, workforce, contracts, and other legal needs with the client and adjust the level of support when appropriate. The goal is to establish a practical arrangement that gives the client predictable access to counsel at a known cost while keeping the scope and fee aligned with the work the business actually needs.
Matters that fall outside the agreed scope of the relationship may be separately scoped and billed.
How frequently will we work together?
The frequency of support will be agreed upon at the beginning of the relationship, and we are able to work with our clients as often as they need.
Matters that fall outside the agreed scope of the relationship may be separately scoped and billed.
Can you work with our management team, employees, and other advisors?
Yes, we regularly work with management teams, employees, and outside advisors as needed.
Do you work with companies that already have in-house counsel or another outside law firm?
Yes we do. We are sometimes retained to act as overflow support for a period of time when legal needs increase beyond the capacity of the existing team.
Do you handle every legal matter internally, or do you coordinate with specialized counsel when needed?
We provide a detailed scope of representation before an engagement begins. Most business matters that arise are handled by us internally. However, there are circumstances where specialized counsel is necessary. When that happens we help our clients identify, vet, and manage specialized counsel so that the advice remains coordinated with our clients’ broader business objectives.
Can we begin with a specific project before establishing an ongoing outside general counsel relationship?
Yes, many of our clients start by engaging us on specific projects before hiring us as outside general counsel.
What happens after we decide to move forward?
Once you have decided to engage our firm we will send you an engagement agreement for your review and signature, and set up the agreed payment arrangements.
As soon as those two steps are complete we will reach out to schedule our initial substantive meeting about your matter.
Jordan Emmert | Founder & Attorney
Jordan Emmert is the founder of Small Business Legal Solutions LLC, a boutique Illinois law firm serving businesses, executives, and owners throughout greater Chicago and Rockford. Before founding the firm, Jordan practiced at a large regional law firm and later served as in-house corporate counsel for a multi-billion dollar wholesale distributor, where he developed substantial experience advising on legal issues affecting business operations, relationships, and objectives. He brings a practical, business focused approach to his legal practice today. His work includes providing ongoing legal support to growing businesses on business, corporate, and employment matters.