- 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
Partnering with an outside general counsel provides strategic legal leadership without the overhead of a full-time in-house team. In New City, growing businesses rely on steady governance, risk management, and proactive counsel to navigate contracts, regulatory requirements, and growth initiatives. A dedicated legal partner helps align corporate decisions with long-term goals, minimize disputes, and stay ahead of changes in the law. This approach offers predictable costs, fast turnaround on critical matters, and a trusted advisor who integrates smoothly with leadership and operations.
Frankfort Law Group serves New City and the broader Illinois market with practical outside general counsel services. From contract reviews and governance frameworks to policy development and compliance programs, the team provides clear guidance, timely drafts, and collaborative problem solving. Clients value a consistent point of contact who translates complex legal concepts into actionable steps. Call 708-766-7333 to discuss how a flexible general counsel arrangement can support your business and adapt as needs evolve.
The outside general counsel model delivers immediate, strategic value by aligning legal work with business priorities. It helps manage risk through documented processes, oversight of key agreements, and clear decision rights. This approach reduces surprises, speeds up critical deals, and supports governance during growth, succession planning, and fundraising. Clients gain continuity, scalable support, and a reliable resource for guidance on complex regulatory matters.
Frankfort Law Group brings years of practical experience across corporate governance, contract management, and risk assessment tailored to Illinois businesses. Our team collaborates closely with leadership to draft policies, negotiate strategic agreements, and align legal risk with business objectives. We emphasize clear communication, pragmatic solutions, and steady partnership rather than rhetoric. While the focus is on results, clients also benefit from thoughtful training, scalable processes, and ongoing guidance to support sustained growth.
Outside general counsel provides ongoing legal leadership without a full-time in-house department. It blends strategic advisory with practical execution, handling governance, contract lifecycle, regulatory compliance, and risk management. This model adapts to the company’s pace and budget, delivering counsel on critical deals, corporate structure, and policy development while preserving internal resources for core operations.
The service emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and responsiveness, with a named attorney or small team serving as your legal partner. The arrangement typically includes regular reviews, scalable support, and documented workflows to ensure compliance, timely contract handling, and a coherent governance framework across the organization.
Outside general counsel refers to a licensed attorney or team retained to provide ongoing strategic legal leadership for a business. The arrangement replaces or supplements an in-house general counsel by offering strategy, policy setting, contract oversight, risk management, and liaison with external advisors. The structure allows for proactive guidance and coordinated advice across departments, with flexibility to adapt as the business grows and markets evolve.
Key elements include a governance framework, contract lifecycle management, risk assessment and mitigation, regulatory compliance monitoring, policy development, and clear escalation paths. The processes involve regular partner review meetings, document control, and proactive planning to align legal work with business strategy. A successful arrangement uses defined service levels, regular audits, and accessible reporting to keep leadership informed and confident.
Description of terms used throughout this guide, including outside general counsel, governance, risk management, policy development, and contract lifecycle. Understanding these terms helps leadership communicate needs clearly, set realistic timelines, and align expectations with the retained attorney or team. This glossary supports informed decisions and ensures your organization and legal partner operate from a shared language.
Outside General Counsel refers to a lawyer or team engaged to provide ongoing strategic legal leadership for a business, without the commitment of a full-time in-house GC. The arrangement covers governance, contract oversight, regulatory compliance, risk evaluation, and strategic advising on growth initiatives. The goal is to deliver proactive guidance, timely drafts, and coordinated advice across departments, while maintaining cost predictability and flexibility to scale as needs change.
Governing documents and processes that define how the company makes decisions, approves major contracts, and tracks risk. A solid governance framework clarifies roles, responsibilities, and decision rights, helping teams operate with consistency and accountability. When paired with outside counsel, governance becomes a living system that supports sustainable growth, audit readiness, and regulatory alignment across departments.
Contract lifecycle management covers creation, negotiation, approval, execution, and renewal of agreements. It ensures standard clauses, consistent terms, risk assessment, and timely renewals. With an external GC, your organization gains structured templates, tracking, and oversight that streamline deals while preserving flexibility to respond to changing business needs.
Compliance program consists of policies, controls, training, and monitoring designed to meet applicable laws and industry standards. An outside counsel partner helps design and refine these programs, perform risk reviews, and guide remediation efforts. The result is a clearer path to sustained lawful operations and reduced exposure from regulatory changes or enforcement actions.
For many businesses, options include hiring a full-time in-house GC, retaining a law firm on an as-needed basis, or partnering with an outside general counsel. Each model offers different balance of control, cost, and continuity. An outside GC typically provides ongoing leadership, strategic advice, and scalable support without the fixed cost of a full-time employee, making it well suited to growing companies in Illinois.
When legal needs are project-based or seasonal, an outside GC delivers targeted support with predictable budgeting. You can access strategic guidance on major contracts, governance updates, and policy changes without committing to a full-time salary. This flexibility helps preserve cash flow and keeps operations nimble, while ensuring critical issues receive timely attention.
For smaller teams or startups, an external partner provides governance and risk oversight that would otherwise require hiring several specialists. Regular check-ins and a documented process ensure you stay compliant and prepared for audits while maintaining bandwidth for growth. The arrangement scales with your needs as the business expands.
A comprehensive outside GC aligns multiple legal functions into a unified program. It supports governance, contract management, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance with a single point of contact. This integrated approach reduces gaps, accelerates decision making, and creates continuity across departments, making it easier to manage growth, respond to changes, and protect business value.
With a broader scope, the service helps standardize processes, improve documentation, and facilitate training. This leads to clearer accountability, quicker on-boarding of new staff, and more reliable risk mitigation. The result is steadier operations, stronger governance, and a stronger foundation for strategic initiatives.
A comprehensive approach delivers continued leadership across governance, contracts, and compliance. It reduces silos, accelerates negotiations, and improves accuracy in policy implementation. Clients benefit from predictable workflows, transparent reporting, and a consistent legal perspective that remains aligned with business goals even as teams evolve.
This approach also supports resilience during regulatory changes and market shifts. By maintaining an organized contract repository, standardized templates, and proactive risk reviews, leadership gains confidence in day-to-day operations and long-range plans. The partnership provides a durable framework for growth, efficiency, and sustainable profitability.
Structured governance and robust contract management reduce delays, miscommunication, and last-minute issues. With a clear escalation path and defined responsibilities, teams work more effectively, closing deals faster and preserving valuable relationships with vendors and partners.
A unified legal program enhances risk awareness and regulatory compliance. Regular reviews and documented processes help detect potential issues early, enabling proactive remediation and less disruption to core operations.
Start with well-defined objectives for governance, policy development, and key contracts. A concise roadmap helps align expectations, speeds decision making, and provides a baseline for measuring success throughout the relationship.
Regular governance and risk review meetings keep leadership informed, surface issues early, and enable timely updates to policies and procedures. Consistent cadence supports continuity even as team members change.
Organizations considering outside general counsel typically seek strategic leadership, scalable legal support, and cost predictability. This model helps startups, mid-size companies, and growing enterprises maintain strong governance, manage contracts efficiently, and stay aligned with business goals without the overhead of a full-time internal department.
The arrangement is particularly beneficial when legal needs fluctuate with market conditions, regulatory changes, or rapid growth. It provides flexibility to scale services up or down while preserving continuity, transparency, and a consistent point of contact for all legal matters.
Organizations often seek outside general counsel during major contracts, governance updates, new regulatory obligations, or rapid growth phases. In these contexts, a retained attorney or team can provide timely guidance, risk assessments, and policy development that align with strategic priorities and protect the business from unnecessary exposure.
A period of growth where internal resources are stretched and there is a need for consistent contract oversight, policy updates, and governance enhancements.
Regulatory changes requiring swift adaptation of compliance programs, employee training, and documentation across departments.
Negotiations for significant partnerships or mergers where a coordinated legal strategy helps balance risk and opportunity.
Our team is ready to discuss your goals, assess current governance, and design a practical outside general counsel plan tailored to New City and Illinois requirements. We focus on clear communication, reliable service, and collaboration to support your business decisions and protect long-term value.
Frankfort Law Group brings a pragmatic, hands-on approach to corporate governance, contracts, and compliance. We emphasize clear explanations, timely drafts, and practical solutions designed to move deals forward while safeguarding the company’s interests. Our team works closely with leadership to translate business needs into actionable legal strategies that fit your budget.
We prioritize consistency, accessibility, and collaboration, ensuring you always have a reliable point of contact. Our flexible model adapts to changing needs, supports growth, and provides ongoing guidance on risk, policy development, and regulatory updates, helping your organization stay compliant and competitive in Illinois markets.
With a focus on sustainable results rather than rhetoric, we aim to deliver value through efficient processes, proactive communication, and a practical stance on governance and contracts. This partnership is designed to support leadership decisions, protect the business, and enable strategic growth with confidence.
Our process combines disciplined governance with practical contract management and regulatory oversight. We begin with a needs assessment, establish priorities, and set up clear workflows. Regular updates and documentation ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment with your business strategy while maintaining flexibility to adapt as circumstances change.
Initial assessment and plan development focus on understanding business objectives, current contracts, and governance structures. We deliver a prioritized action list and a roadmap for implementing practical, scalable processes that fit your budget and schedule.
We review existing documents, identify gaps, and propose templates and systems to streamline negotiations, approvals, and record-keeping.
A tailored governance framework is defined, clarifying roles, responsibilities, and decision rights across the organization.
Ongoing contract management, risk assessment, and compliance monitoring become routine. We establish cadence for reviews and ensure timely updates to policies and procedures.
Templates, checklists, and approval workflows are implemented to accelerate negotiations and maintain consistency.
Risk controls and compliance measures are integrated into daily operations with clear escalation paths.
Ongoing governance oversight, performance reporting, and periodic strategy reviews ensure long-term alignment with business goals.
Regular governance meetings and contract audits keep the program on track.
Continuous improvement plans are documented and tracked for measurable results.
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 is a retained attorney or team that provides ongoing legal leadership for a business without the long-term commitment of an in-house general counsel. This arrangement covers governance, contract oversight, risk management, and compliance while remaining flexible to adapt to changing needs. The focus is on practical, timely guidance that supports strategic decisions and day-to-day operations without adding unnecessary fixed costs.
An outside GC offers continuous strategic guidance and hands-on execution, whereas a full-time GC is typically an employee with a fixed cost and broader in-house integration. The external model provides scalability, cost predictability, and access to specialized knowledge on demand, while preserving strong alignment with your business priorities and regulatory requirements.
Issues commonly handled include contract drafting and negotiation, policy development, governance updates, regulatory compliance, and risk assessments. The outside GC serves as a trusted partner across departments, ensuring legal considerations are integrated into strategic decisions and helping to standardize processes for efficiency and consistency.
Fees are typically structured as predictable retainers, monthly subscriptions, or project-based engagements. The emphasis is on transparent pricing and scalable support. You pay for defined services and the level of involvement you need, with the ability to adjust as your business grows or experiences shifts in priorities.
Engagements can begin quickly after a scope agreement is in place. Initial assessments, planning, and setup of templates and workflows can occur within weeks, with ongoing work ramping up as needs are clarified. We focus on moving efficiently while maintaining accuracy and thorough documentation.
Yes. Our model is designed to complement existing internal and external legal resources. We coordinate with in-house counsel and outside advisors, ensuring alignment, seamless handoffs, and consistent messaging across all legal activities. Regular communication and documented processes support collaboration and minimize overlap or conflict.
The service is well suited for startups and growing Illinois companies seeking governance, contract management, and risk oversight without a fixed full-time position. It provides scalable support, practical guidance, and predictable costs, helping these businesses implement solid legal foundations as they scale and pursue strategic opportunities.
We implement robust confidentiality practices, secure data handling, and strict access controls. Our procedures comply with applicable privacy and security requirements, and we maintain clear boundaries around privileged information. Client confidentiality is a core obligation, and we use secure systems to protect sensitive material.
Engagements are typically flexible and can be adjusted based on work volume and strategic priorities. You can scale services up during busy periods, such as major negotiations or compliance updates, and scale down during quieter times, while maintaining continuity and predictable costs.
Success is measured through clear metrics such as contract turnaround times, governance improvements, risk mitigation outcomes, and alignment with business goals. Regular reviews and feedback loops help refine the scope and demonstrate tangible value from ongoing legal leadership and process improvements.