Strengthen Your Legal Partnerships with Clear External Counsel Guidelines
General Counsel at mid-sized companies need control, cost efficiency, and compliance from their outside law firms. Customized External Counsel Guidelines set the rules of engagement—from billing to conflicts—ensuring smoother collaboration and fewer surprises.
Why Your Legal Department Needs Formal Guidelines
Well-drafted guidelines protect your company, streamline outside counsel relationships, and reduce legal spend. Key benefits include:
- Cost Control– Enforce transparent billing practices (e.g., pre-approved expenses, AFAs).
- Risk Mitigation– Define confidentiality, conflict checks, and media protocols upfront.
- Operational Efficiency– Standardize communication, staffing, and reporting expectations.
- Stronger Partnerships– Align external firms with your company’s values and workflows.
- Compliance Confidence– Ensure adherence to ethics rules and data security standards.
- Scalable Process – Handle more bids simultaneously without sacrificing quality.
Why Work With Me?
With experience advising both in-house teams and law firms, I deliver:
- Tailored Guidelines– Customized to your business model, industry, and pain points (e.g., aggressive billing, slow response times).
- Enforceable Frameworks– Practical rules that balance rigor with flexibility.
- Best Practices– Proven strategies from $3B+ in successful bids for legal services.
- GC-Centric Approach – Final drafts designed for your approval, with minimal lift from your team.
Key Elements of Effective Guidelines
Your document will cover critical areas like:
- Billing & Fees: Itemized invoices, expense caps, alternative fee structures.
- Communication: Single point of contact, response time SLAs.
- Conflicts & Ethics: Mandatory disclosures, waiver processes.
- Data Security: Document handling, cybersecurity requirements.
- Staffing: Minimum experience levels, no “overstaffing.”
Ready to Take Control of Your Outside Counsel Relationships?
Protect your company and optimize outside counsel relationships with customized guidelines that:
- Define billing, staffing, and communication standards.
- Mitigate risks (conflicts, confidentiality, media exposure).
- Reflect your legal department’s unique needs and culture.
I work closely with General Counsel to draft enforceable, practical rules—approved by you, adopted by firms.
Need a proven framework? Let’s discuss your priorities.
Don’t leave collaboration to chance. Let’s build guidelines that reduce friction and costs—while keeping firms accountable