- Consumer's Choice Award 2019
- Consumer's Choice Award 2020
- Consumer's Choice Award 2021
- Consumer's Choice Award 2022
- Consumer's Choice Award 2023
- Consumer's Choice Award 2024
Outside General Counsel services provide ongoing strategic legal support for Chicago area businesses, allowing leaders to focus on growth while staying aligned with regulatory requirements. A dedicated on call counsel helps manage risk, negotiate contracts, and oversee compliance programs, delivering consistency across departments without the overhead of a full time internal team. This approach offers flexible scalability, cost control, and proactive guidance tailored to evolving business needs in the Chicago Loop.
At Frankfort Law Group, we tailor outside general counsel arrangements to fit mid market companies and fast growing startups alike. Our team works as an extension of your leadership, offering practical advice, timely responses, and a clear path through complex regulatory matters. We emphasize accessible communication, transparent processes, and durable governance strategies to help your organization navigate commercial transactions, workforce matters, and risk management with confidence in Chicago and beyond.
Having outside general counsel in the Chicago Loop provides continuous legal oversight, enabling quicker decisions and fewer surprises. By coordinating across counsel, compliance, procurement, and operations, businesses reduce legal friction, shorten cycle times, and improve governance. Clients value predictable budgeting, aligned risk posture, and a trusted partner who understands the local business climate. This service supports strategic growth, ensures regulatory alignment, and helps prevent costly disputes by catching issues early.
Frankfort Law Group brings decades of collective experience across corporate law, governance, and commercial transactions. Our attorneys serve clients in the Chicago Loop and across Illinois, providing steady guidance during mergers, contracts, financing, and regulatory matters. We emphasize practical, outcome driven advice with attention to risk management, client service, and transparent communication. Our team maintains a broad industry perspective, returning value through clear strategy, thorough analysis, and a disciplined approach to every assignment.
Outside general counsel arrangements differ from traditional firm engagements by embedding counsel within the client’s day to day operations. The model reduces administrative burden and aligns legal strategy with business goals. In Chicago, this approach supports faster contract reviews, proactive policy development, and ongoing risk assessment while maintaining independence from internal politics.
We structure engagements to scale with your company. The right ongoing relationship provides reliable access to the legal function, integrated governance, and continuous improvement of processes. Clients appreciate consistent messaging, comprehensive documentation, and a partner who is available to advise on strategic decisions as they arise in the Chicago Loop market.
Outside general counsel is a client aligned legal service that provides continuous, boardroom level guidance without the need for a full time internal legal department. The relationship emphasizes strategic advisory support, contract management, regulatory compliance, risk assessment, and timely execution of corporate matters. It is designed to harmonize legal work with business objectives while remaining adaptable to changes in the market and organization.
Key elements include ongoing advisory access, governance frameworks, risk monitoring, policy development, and efficient contract review. The process typically starts with understanding business goals, identifying legal risks, and establishing communication routines. Regular check ins, milestone tracking, and documentation of decisions help ensure alignment across teams and provide clear accountability in the event of audits or disputes.
Key terms in this service model include engagement structure, governance framework, risk management, and response protocols. A glossary is provided to clarify common phrases used in the Chicago Loop business environment. The aim is to create a shared language for efficient collaboration between in house leaders, outside counsel, and outside advisors. Clear definitions support faster decisions, consistent expectations, and better outcomes when addressing contracts, compliance programs, and strategic initiatives.
The engagement model describes how the client and counsel work together, including communication cadence, roles, and responsibilities. It sets expectations for availability, responsiveness, and decision making, and outlines how projects are initiated, staffed, and billed. A well defined model ensures steady support for routine legal matters while preserving capacity to address urgent issues as they arise.
A governance framework provides policy, procedures, and controls to guide corporate decisions, risk oversight, and regulatory compliance. It includes decision rights, escalation paths, and documentation standards to ensure consistent handling of matters across departments.
Contract lifecycle management covers creation, review, negotiation, approval, execution, and renewal of contracts. An efficient process reduces risk, clarifies obligations, and supports timely business operations by maintaining consistent standards and centralized records.
Regulatory compliance monitoring involves tracking applicable laws and rules, implementing controls, and auditing processes to ensure ongoing conformity. This term encompasses incident response planning, training, and documentation to support governance and minimize regulatory exposure.
Businesses may choose internal counsel, outsourced advisory, or hybrid models. External outside general counsel offers dedicated, flexible support without the overhead of a full time internal team. This approach often yields clearer budgeting, scalable resources, and continuous coverage for strategic matters, regulatory issues, and routine compliance. By comparing options, leadership can select a configuration that aligns with goals, culture, and operational needs in the Chicago Loop region.
A limited approach is appropriate when a company requires targeted guidance on a specific contract, policy, or regulatory issue. This arrangement provides access to qualified counsel for a defined period, enabling efficient completion of a discrete task without committing to ongoing broad advisory services. It supports fast decision making and cost control while preserving the option to expand services if business needs evolve.
In times of transition, growth spurts, or leadership changes, a limited approach offers essential governance support without long term commitments. This structure ensures continuity for critical matters such as large negotiations, regulatory reviews, or policy updates while the organization evaluates its longer term legal strategy and internal resources in the Chicago Loop market.
A comprehensive legal service covers multiple departments and matters, ensuring consistent guidance across governance, contracts, compliance, and risk management. This approach reduces gaps, aligns messaging, and supports a unified strategy for growth. By maintaining an ongoing relationship, the client benefits from coordinated policy development, streamlined approvals, and reliable support during audits and regulatory reviews in the Chicago Loop area.
Strategic planning and risk management demand continuous legal involvement. A comprehensive service enhances decision making with proactive scenario analysis, contract optimization, and governance improvements. Regular reviews of compliance programs, vendor management, and employment matters help identify and mitigate risk before issues escalate, providing leadership with confidence to pursue opportunities while maintaining regulatory alignment in Illinois.
A comprehensive approach delivers seamless governance, consistent counsel across matters, and predictable budgeting. Clients experience improved coordination between departments, faster issue resolution, and stronger alignment with business goals. This model supports long term planning, reduces redundancy, and creates a clear framework for policy implementation, contract management, and risk oversight that stands up to regulatory scrutiny in the Chicago Loop and Illinois markets.
With continuous advisory support, firms gain ongoing access to guidance on mergers, financing, employment, and supplier relationships. The approach fosters disciplined documentation, transparent communication, and measurable improvements in efficiency. By consolidating legal activities under one coordinated program, leadership can anticipate needs, allocate resources effectively, and maintain a strong governance posture as the business scales in Illinois.
Streamlined governance reduces ambiguity and accelerates decision making by establishing clear roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths. A unified framework ensures consistency in policy application, contract practices, and regulatory responses across the organization. This clarity helps teams collaborate more efficiently and reduces the risk of miscommunication during critical transactions and governance reviews in the Chicago Loop region.
An integrated legal program provides cost predictability through defined engagement models, transparent billing, and steady access to counsel. Clients benefit from avoiding ad hoc, fragmented services while gaining the flexibility to scale up or down based on needs. This stability supports budgeting, planning, and sustained compliance as the business grows in Illinois and the Chicago Loop area.
Clarify strategic objectives, milestones, and risk tolerance at the outset. Establish regular touchpoints and a clear channel for urgent matters. Providing this context helps the outside general counsel tailor guidance, respond quickly to emerging challenges, and align legal work with business priorities. Consistent communication reduces back and forth and supports smoother decision making in a dynamic Chicago Loop environment.
Define who handles different categories of issues and establish expected response times. Clear escalation enhances accountability and ensures that urgent matters receive timely attention. With well defined protocols, your organization can navigate complex matters confidently and keep operations moving smoothly in the Chicago Loop market.
If you are seeking continuity in legal guidance, a predictable budget, and integrated governance across departments, outside general counsel offers a practical solution. This model supports ongoing strategic advisory, policy development, and risk oversight while maintaining strong client collaboration and local market awareness in Chicago and Illinois.
For growing businesses that need fast, reliable access to counsel without the overhead of a full in house team, this approach delivers steady support, scalable resources, and a partnership focused on achieving business goals with regulatory alignment in the Chicago Loop area.
A company may engage outside general counsel during major transactions, regulatory changes, ongoing contract management needs, or rapid growth where internal resources are overwhelmed. In these scenarios, a seasoned partner provides continuity, reduces disruption, and ensures consistent legal oversight across strategic initiatives, procurement, and governance within the Chicago Loop and Illinois markets.
When pursuing mergers, acquisitions, or major reorganizations, steady legal guidance helps align deal terms, due diligence, integration planning, and regulatory compliance. An ongoing partner can coordinate across teams, streamline documents, and maintain a clear path to close while protecting stakeholder interests in Illinois.
Regulatory updates require timely interpretation and policy adjustments. A dedicated lawyer team ensures governance frameworks stay current, training materials are refreshed, and reporting processes remain effective. This support minimizes risk while keeping operations aligned with evolving laws in the Chicago Loop region.
Ongoing contract review, negotiation, and vendor risk assessments benefit from a continuous legal function. A steady relationship helps standardize templates, accelerate negotiations, and improve compliance across supplier arrangements, enabling smoother procurement and clearer accountability for commitments in Illinois.
Our team is ready to support your business with practical, clear, and timely legal guidance. We focus on keeping contracts compliant, governance sound, and risk under control while enabling leadership to concentrate on growth. In Chicago and across Illinois, you can rely on steady counsel to respond to opportunities and challenges as they arise.
Frankfort Law Group offers a client centered, collaborative approach that integrates with your leadership and operations. We provide reliable guidance, practical solutions, and transparent communication while focusing on measurable outcomes. Our team brings local market knowledge and a disciplined method to manage legal risk, contracts, and compliance as your business scales in Illinois.
Choosing our firm means partnering with professionals who value accessibility, responsiveness, and clear project alignment. We tailor engagements to fit your needs, balance risk and opportunity, and support your strategic growth in the Chicago Loop without unnecessary complexity or delays.
We aim to deliver consistent, straightforward legal support that fits your budget and timeline while fostering a productive working relationship built on trust and practical results in Illinois.
The process begins with an in depth understanding of your business goals, risk profile, and compliance landscape. We establish clear communication channels, define scope, and set milestones. Regular reviews ensure alignment with strategy, and ongoing documentation supports audits and governance. This approach provides a steady workflow, timely updates, and actionable guidance to keep your organization moving forward in the Chicago Loop market.
Initial needs assessment and engagement setup focus on understanding priorities, risk tolerance, and desired outcomes. We identify key stakeholders, determine response times, and agree on reporting standards. This foundation enables efficient collaboration and ensures both sides share a common language for future work in Illinois.
A thorough needs assessment captures business objectives, critical deadlines, and regulatory considerations. This step defines how we will support leadership, assign tasks, and monitor progress, ensuring that legal guidance is aligned with strategic priorities throughout the engagement in the Chicago Loop.
We establish the engagement framework, including staffing models, communication protocols, and billing structure. This planning ensures efficient use of resources, predictable costs, and consistent service levels as your needs evolve in Illinois.
In this phase we implement the plan, review critical contracts, and begin governance enhancements. We coordinate with internal teams, vendors, and regulators as required, maintaining clear documentation and progress updates. The goal is to translate strategy into action while minimizing disruption to daily operations in the Chicago Loop region.
A structured review of documents and policies ensures consistency, accuracy, and compliance. We align templates with corporate standards, update procedures, and prepare audit ready reports to support ongoing governance and risk management in Illinois.
Implementation involves translating plans into practice with oversight, checklists, and regular monitoring. We track results, adapt to changes, and keep leadership informed with concise, actionable updates relevant to the Chicago Loop environment.
Ongoing support and optimization are provided through continuous advisory, performance reviews, and updates to policies. We maintain alignment with business goals, respond to new regulations, and refine processes to improve efficiency and governance over time in Illinois.
Continuous advisory services ensure leadership receives timely legal input on strategic decisions, contract negotiations, and regulatory changes. Regularly scheduled reviews help keep the organization proactive rather than reactive in the Chicago Loop market.
We provide clear reports, track key metrics, and identify opportunities to streamline processes. Ongoing optimization supports stronger governance, better efficiency, and sustained compliance across departments in Illinois.
At the Frankfort Law Group, we take great pride in our commitment to personal service. Clients come to us because they have problems, and they depend upon us to help them find solutions. We take these obligations seriously. When you meet with us, we know that you are only doing so because you need help. Since we started our firm in northeast Illinois, we have focused on providing each of our clients with personal attention. You do not have to be afraid to tell us your story. We are not here to judge you or make you feel ashamed for seeking help. Our only goal is to help you get results and move past your current legal problems.
At the Frankfort Law Group, we take great pride in our commitment to personal service. Clients come to us because they have problems, and they depend upon us to help them find solutions. We take these obligations seriously. When you meet with us, we know that you are only doing so because you need help. Since we started our firm in northeast Illinois, we have focused on providing each of our clients with personal attention. You do not have to be afraid to tell us your story. We are not here to judge you or make you feel ashamed for seeking help. Our only goal is to help you get results and move past your current legal problems.
Outside general counsel provides ongoing strategic legal guidance without the need for a full time internal legal department. It integrates with leadership to address contract management, regulatory compliance, and risk oversight on a continuous basis. This model offers steady access to counsel, predictable budgeting, and coordinated governance across the organization in the Chicago Loop area. It is especially beneficial for growing businesses seeking stability and scalable support.
Companies that benefit include mid market firms, startups with rapid growth, and organizations undergoing regulatory changes. The arrangement provides consistent guidance, faster response times, and integrated policy development. Clients appreciate having a reliable legal partner who understands local market dynamics and can align legal work with strategic objectives in Illinois.
Billing is typically structured around a defined engagement scope with transparent rates and predictable intervals. Costs align with usage, allowing budgeting for ongoing advice, project work, or a hybrid approach. The goal is to avoid surprise invoices while ensuring access to meaningful, practical guidance when it matters most for business decisions in Chicago.
Engagements commonly cover contract review and negotiation, governance policy development, compliance monitoring, risk assessments, and regulatory planning. Outside general counsel can also assist with corporate transactions, vendor management, and workforce matters. The scope adapts to evolving business needs, providing a flexible legal partner for a wide range of commercial activities in Illinois.
Yes. The service is designed to scale with your needs. You can increase or reduce the level of advisory support, add project work, or transition to a broader ongoing engagement as your business grows. This flexibility helps manage risk and cost while maintaining continuity of legal guidance in the Chicago Loop market.
Access is arranged through defined communication channels and response time agreements. Urgent matters receive priority handling, and routine inquiries are managed through scheduled updates. The model emphasizes availability and reliability so leaders can move quickly on critical decisions in Illinois.
Essential practices include documented decision making, clear escalation paths, standardized templates, and regular governance reviews. A strong framework supports consistency, training, and audits while ensuring all stakeholders stay informed and aligned with corporate goals in the Chicago Loop area.
Outside counsel helps anticipate regulatory changes, implement compliant processes, and monitor risk across functions. This proactive approach reduces exposure and supports sustainable growth by ensuring policies and procedures remain current with evolving laws in Illinois.
Frankfort Law Group offers local market understanding, collaborative service, and a practical approach to complex legal matters. Our team focuses on clear communication, measurable outcomes, and a steady advisory presence across corporate, contract, and compliance concerns in Chicago and beyond.
To start, contact us to discuss your goals, current needs, and preferred engagement model. We will outline scope, pricing, and timelines, then set up an initial needs assessment to tailor a plan that fits your company in Illinois. The first step is a consultative conversation to identify priorities and establish expectations for the partnership.