- 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
Mount Prospect businesses often face complex legal needs without the overhead of a full in-house legal team. An outside general counsel arrangement provides strategic guidance, scalable support, and practical solutions across contracts, risk management, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance. At Frankfort Law Group, we partner with growing companies and established firms in Cook County to deliver responsive, integrated counsel. Our approach emphasizes clear communication, practical risk assessment, and actionable strategies designed to help you focus on core operations while reducing legal exposure.
By serving as your extension of counsel, we tailor services to fit your industry, growth stage, and budget. We review major contracts, oversee corporate policy development, coordinate with outside specialists when needed, and maintain a rolling program of risk management. With a Mount Prospect-based team, you gain local insight and timely advice while preserving flexibility. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions quickly, stay compliant, and avoid unnecessary disputes that distract from daily operations.
Employing an outside general counsel offers strategic alignment, cost predictability, and continuity. You receive dedicated legal leadership that understands your business, industry nuances, and local regulations in Illinois. A consistent counsel avoids last‑minute advisory gaps, accelerates deal timelines, and improves governance. The arrangement scales with your needs, ensuring you have access to senior guidance during critical moments such as negotiations, risk assessment, and policy updates, without the overhead of a full-time, salaried general counsel.
Our firm combines broad corporate practice with hands-on, practical advice rooted in years of working with manufacturers, service providers, and technology firms in the Illinois region. Our attorneys bring extensive experience guiding companies through formation, financing, contracting, compliance, and dispute resolution. We emphasize collaborative partnership, clear communication, and pragmatic problem-solving to help you move projects forward while protecting your interests. Local presence means timely responses and familiarity with state and county requirements.
Outside general counsel services provide strategic leadership without the fixed cost of a full-time executive. The arrangement covers routine governance, contract review, risk management, and ongoing regulatory compliance. You gain a trusted advisor who can scale support as your business grows, coordinate with other legal specialists, and help implement policies that promote responsible growth. In Mount Prospect, this model aligns with the needs of mid-market companies seeking steady, proactive guidance.
Working with a local firm offers responsiveness, accessible communication, and a direct channel for urgent matters. The service typically includes periodic strategic planning, legal risk assessment, and assistance with major transactions. You’ll see improved contract quality, clearer compliance practices, and a governance framework designed to reduce surprises. The objective is to deliver practical legal leadership that supports your business objectives while maintaining budget discipline.
Outside general counsel is a flexible legal service model in which an experienced attorney or team acts as your on-call senior advisor for a spectrum of legal needs. Rather than hiring a full-time in-house lawyer, you access strategic counsel, routine legal work, and project-specific support as your business requires. The arrangement emphasizes accessibility, proactive planning, and responsive resolution of issues to keep your operations compliant and competitive.
Key elements include governance oversight, contract management, risk assessment, policy development, and coordinated use of outside specialists. The processes emphasize clear scoping, regular check-ins, documented decisions, and scalable resources. The counsel helps structure meaningful workflows for onboarding vendors, drafting and negotiating agreements, monitoring regulatory changes, and aligning legal activities with business strategy. The approach is pragmatic, prioritized, and designed to minimize disruption while delivering practical, timely guidance.
Glossary terms help translate complex legal concepts into practical business language. This section defines common terms used in outside general counsel relationships and explains how they apply to governance, contracts, risk management, and regulatory compliance for Mount Prospect and Illinois companies. Clear definitions support consistent decision-making, reduce miscommunication, and ensure both parties maintain aligned expectations about scope, responsibilities, and timelines.
Governance refers to the framework of rules, policies, and processes that steer a company’s actions. In an outside general counsel arrangement, governance encompasses board communications, policy development, oversight of risk controls, and ensuring compliance across operations. Strong governance supports strategic planning, stakeholder accountability, and predictable decision-making for everyday business activity.
Contracting and Negotiation describes how terms are drafted, reviewed, and agreed upon with vendors, customers, and partners. This term covers risk allocation, clear performance expectations, and timelines. In practice, it means precise language, well-structured deals, and a process that protects your interests while enabling productive collaboration.
Regulatory Compliance encompasses processes to meet applicable laws and industry regulations. An outside general counsel helps monitor changes, implement policies, and train staff to reduce exposure and maintain business integrity across jurisdictions in Illinois.
Risk Management involves identifying, assessing, and mitigating legal and operational risks. With external counsel, you gain proactive planning, controls, and response strategies to minimize potential losses and protect ongoing operations.
Businesses have several paths to legal guidance: maintaining an in-house lawyer, hiring a traditional law firm for project work, or engaging an outside general counsel who acts as a strategic partner. An outside GC provides senior advice, ongoing oversight, and scalable support without the fixed headcount. This option often delivers practical governance, timely risk management, and cost predictability for Mount Prospect companies navigating growth and regulatory demands.
Some situations benefit from a focused, limited approach, such as a single major contract review, a specific policy update, or a short-term project. In these cases, outside counsel can address the task quickly while maintaining clear boundaries around scope and fees. Once the need is resolved, ongoing support can switch back to standard arrangements or be paused to optimize budgeting.
A limited approach also helps test alignment with your business, verify communication effectiveness, and confirm the level of senior input you require. It can reduce initial cost while providing access to leadership for a defined period. When operations demand broader coverage, the engagement can expand into a more comprehensive plan with full governance and risk management support.
When growth accelerates or regulatory complexity increases, a comprehensive legal service provides sustained leadership across governance, contracts, and compliance. This arrangement ensures continuous overview, timely advice, and a unified strategy that aligns legal work with business objectives. It also reduces fragmentation by coordinating internal and external resources to support critical transactions and long-term planning.
A full-service approach helps manage multiple workstreams, from policy development to corporate governance, alongside day-to-day legal tasks. Clients benefit from predictable coverage, prioritized workflows, and a single point of contact who champions risk mitigation and strategic decision making. The result is steadier operations and fewer unexpected legal disruptions.
Adopting a comprehensive approach delivers integrated oversight across your legal functions. You gain coordinated contract reviews, governance alignment, proactive risk management, and streamlined policy updates. This continuity helps your leadership make faster, better-informed decisions, fosters compliance culture, and reduces the chance of last-minute fixes that interrupt operations.
Having a unified legal strategy also improves vendor negotiating power, clarifies responsibilities, and enables more predictable budgeting. With regular strategic sessions and clearly defined milestones, you can track progress, measure outcomes, and iterate on processes to support sustainable growth.
Begin with a clear scope, forecast the level of senior oversight you need, and agree on pricing structures before engagement. This helps avoid surprises and ensures the relationship focuses on high-impact areas such as governance, major contracts, and risk planning. Regular check-ins keep expectations aligned, and documented decisions minimize miscommunications when priorities shift.
Design the engagement with growth in mind. Define milestones, set budget ceilings, and establish a contingency plan for increased needs. A scalable approach ensures you retain strong governance and proactive risk management as your business evolves.
If your business seeks strategic legal leadership without the long-term cost of a full-time general counsel, this service provides a balanced mix of senior guidance, governance oversight, and practical contract and risk management. Local expertise adds familiarity with Illinois regulations and Mount Prospect market dynamics, improving response times and collaboration with your teams.
For growing companies, the ability to scale legal support as needed helps maintain momentum on transactions, policy updates, and compliance programs. A structured approach to governance and vendor management reduces exposure and supports sustainable growth through predictable budgeting and clear accountability.
Businesses often seek outside general counsel during major contracts, regulatory changes, governance updates, and strategic transactions. This approach provides senior guidance without permanent headcount, enabling rapid implementation of policies, contract templates, and risk controls while preserving budget flexibility and operational focus.
A significant supplier agreement requires careful risk allocation, performance metrics, and compliance checks. External counsel can coordinate the negotiation, ensure consistent language, and establish monitoring processes to avoid disputes and delays.
Regulatory updates necessitate policy revisions and staff training. An external team can lead the update effort, disseminate clear guidance, and track completion to minimize regulatory exposure.
Due diligence for a merger or acquisition requires coordinated oversight of contract reviews, governance alignment, and integration planning. An outside general counsel can unify counsel across teams and streamline the process.
Frankfort Law Group stands ready to support Mount Prospect businesses with practical, scalable legal leadership. We focus on governance, contracting, risk management, and compliance, delivering timely guidance that aligns with your business goals. Our local presence means responsive communication, dependable support, and a steady hand during critical moments.
Choosing our outside general counsel service means partnering with a team that understands Illinois business needs and the Mount Prospect market. We provide ongoing legal leadership, coordinated project work, and pragmatic solutions designed to protect your operations while enabling growth. You gain a single point of contact who can navigate complex issues efficiently.
Our approach emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and practical outcomes. We align legal activities with your business strategy, help manage risk, and support governance improvements. With scalable resources, you can adjust the level of service as your company evolves, preserving agility and budget predictability.
From contract optimization to regulatory diligence and board communications, our team provides continuous, accessible guidance that fits your needs and helps you stay competitive in Illinois and beyond.
Our process begins with a needs assessment, followed by a tailored engagement plan. We establish scope, timelines, and pricing, then execute with ongoing communication, milestone tracking, and transparent reporting. You will have a dedicated point of contact who coordinates with your team and external specialists to ensure consistent, timely legal support that aligns with business objectives.
We discuss your goals, regulatory environment, and current legal challenges. This step clarifies scope, identifies priority areas, and determines the level of senior guidance required. The outcome is a clear plan with defined milestones and a budget framework.
During this phase, we gather context on your operations, risk tolerance, and governance needs. We document key priorities and establish how success will be measured, ensuring alignment with business objectives from the outset.
We define the scope of services, assign responsibilities, and set realistic timelines. Clear metrics help you evaluate progress and return on investment as the engagement progresses.
We develop a structured plan covering governance, contracts, policy updates, and risk oversight. Execution involves drafting templates, reviewing existing agreements, and implementing processes designed to fit your operations. Regular updates keep stakeholders informed.
We revise or create governance policies, establish approval workflows, and implement standard operating procedures to ensure consistency across the organization.
We standardize contract language, negotiate terms, and implement compliance checks to reduce risk and accelerate deal cycles.
We perform ongoing reviews, refine processes, and adjust strategy as the business grows. Regular governance meetings and performance reporting ensure continuous improvement and alignment with goals.
We conduct periodic assessments of contracts, policies, and risk controls to identify opportunities for optimization and ensure continued compliance.
We provide strategic guidance for expansion, financing, and major transactions, coordinating with specialists as needed to support scalable growth.
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 means you have ongoing legal leadership without a full-time hire. In Mount Prospect, this arrangement typically begins with a needs assessment, followed by a plan outlining governance work, contract templates, and risk management priorities. You’ll have a single point of contact coordinating with your team and external specialists to keep initiatives on track. The implementation focuses on practical steps, including policy updates, vendor management, and major contract drafting. Regular status updates help you assess progress, budget alignment, and impact on business objectives over time.
Pricing for outside general counsel is commonly structured as a monthly retainer with defined scope, or as project-based work with hourly rates for ad hoc tasks. Most clients prefer predictable fees tied to established priorities, allowing budgeting and reducing surprise invoices. We tailor the plan to your needs, with milestones and a clear path to scale up or down as the business evolves. This approach helps you manage cash flow and ensures access to leadership whenever critical decisions arise.
Typical contracts include supplier and customer agreements, confidentiality and data protection documents, licensing, and major procurement contracts. We also assist with formation documents, employment policies, and non-compete or trade secret matters when appropriate. The goal is to strengthen each contract’s clarity, risk allocation, and performance expectations while supporting efficient negotiation.
Response times vary by engagement, but urgent matters are prioritized with a defined escalation path. We aim to acknowledge urgent issues within hours and provide actionable guidance or temporary protections while a longer-term solution is developed. This focus on timely communication helps you manage risk and keep operations moving smoothly.
Yes. The service is designed to scale with growth, adding more governance oversight, contract work, or risk management support as needed. A staged approach allows smaller firms to start with core needs and progressively expand to cover additional functions, including procurement, compliance programs, and board advisory work.
We work with startups and mid-sized companies across Illinois, including manufacturing, technology, and professional services sectors. Our approach adapts to different growth stages, regulatory environments, and industry requirements, always focusing on practical solutions and sustainable practices that fit your business model.
If you already have in-house counsel, an outside general counsel can complement their work by handling overflow, strategic initiatives, and high-risk matters that require senior guidance. We coordinate with your internal team to ensure consistency, avoid duplication, and optimize governance and contracting workflows.
Engagement typically begins with an intake meeting, a scope document, and a proposed plan with milestones. We then assign a dedicated contact, establish communication channels, and integrate our templates and processes with your systems. Onboarding includes a review of existing policies, contracts, and risk areas to prioritize early wins.
We use clear, regular communications through email, scheduled calls, and a secure client portal for document sharing and updates. Monthly status reports summarize progress, upcoming tasks, and any shifts in priorities. You can request ad hoc updates as needed to stay informed about critical issues.
Value is measured by reduced risk exposure, faster contract cycles, improved governance, and predictable budgeting. We track milestones, quantify avoided disputes, and monitor regulatory compliance improvements. Regular reviews help refine scope and demonstrate return on investment over time.