NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 29, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- The General Counsel LLC is changing the legal services landscape by offering small-to-midsize businesses the opportunity to have the same corporate counsel representation usually associated with large, in-house legal departments. This flexible model offers companies strategic legal consulting to help chart business growth -- all without the high cost of hiring a general counsel on staff or using the more expensive services of a retained law firm. As an outsourced general counsel, The General Counsel maintains regular in-house contact with clients and provides legal services for everyday business matters, such as employment agreements, as well as highly specialized services, such as counseling to protect trade secrets, copyright, trademarks and inventions.
"A general counsel has to be intimately involved in all aspects of the business -- such as sales, marketing, IT, finance and HR -- to be effective," said Stuart Blake, founder and managing principal of The General Counsel. "Therefore, when we engage with a client, we typically spend most of our working time in their office, immersed in their business. This physical proximity allows us to become embedded into their corporate culture in ways a traditional law firm cannot."
However, like a conventional general counsel for a large company, The General Counsel holds the experience and knowledge necessary to serve as a key advisor to clients on strategic business matters.
"We serve businesses that recognize the value of preventing legal difficulties rather than resolving them after they have occurred," said Michael Oswald, co-founder and managing principal of The General Counsel. "Each attorney at The General Counsel has at least 20 years of corporate or legal experience and an intimate understanding of the legal challenges business owners and chief executives face."
For companies that have not hired in-house counsel, The General Counsel offers an experienced attorney to provide legal advice and review of matters such as business formation, commercial contracts and leases, and employment issues. This engagement frees senior management to focus on core business issues.
Advising on Key Business Issues
The General Counsel counts Internet-based start ups, publicly traded companies and national associations among its client roster, including Newport Beach, Calif.-based MessageBroadcast.com, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) of Calabasas, Calif., and Santa Ana, Calif.-based SRS Labs Inc. (Nasdaq:SRSL).
"MessageBroadcast.com is a nationally recognized policy-maker in the emerging voice-broadcasting industry," said founder Bill Potter. "We're expanding our capabilities and services through an aggressive program of internal research and development, acquisition and strategic partnerships. We ensure hassle-free growth by working with The General Counsel to manage this program, advise us of risks and overcome legal obstacles blocking our expansion."
The General Counsel Advances Outsourced Corporate Counsel and Legal Services Model
"We're at the forefront of the convergence of fitness, insurance and healthcare, using licensed, proprietary fitness programs to cultivate lucrative markets," said Dr. Micheal Clark, CEO and president, NASM. "It's a powerful new approach that's changing the shape of the industry. This takes the legal foresight of The General Counsel to help us accomplish our goals."
"Our growth has been driven by our success in accessing key target markets and securing licensing agreements," said Thomas C. K. Yuen, chairman and chief executive officer, SRS Labs, a leading provider of innovative audio and voice technology solutions. "The General Counsel has helped SRS Labs manage this growth and react quickly to licensing and other strategic alliance opportunities."
Managing Resources
For larger companies that have in-house attorneys, The General Counsel expands their capacity to mitigate legal challenges and tackle day-to-day legal matters. The firm's services range from simple contract execution to complex merger-and-acquisition activities. The General Counsel's outsourced model offers a flexible solution for handling corporate legal issues without adding staff or paying an hourly rate to traditional law firms.
"Our attorneys have the experience of working in the corporate environment and understand how to be effective extensions of clients' existing legal structure," Oswald said.
About The General Counsel LLC
The General Counsel LLC is an outsourced legal solutions firm dedicated to providing small and midsize companies with in-house general counsel services. Many companies face complex business and legal matters but lack the resources to employ full-time legal expertise to handle them. The General Counsel offers a solution to this challenge through outsourced legal services designed to deliver dedicated, part-time in-house general counsel services to companies with no legal staff. The General Counsel also offers targeted assistance to supplement the existing legal staffs of large companies. Visit The General Counsel online at www.thegeneralcounsel.net.