Your Outside General Counsel. Not a Service Provider. A Legal Partner.
We work alongside your leadership team, not just when a deal or a crisis lands on the table. You get a seasoned attorney who's been on your side of the table, available when you need counsel, not just when you have a matter to file.
Complimentary for qualified ventures and growth companies.
What the Engagement Looks Like
Most law firms wait for you to call with a problem. That's not how we work.
As your outside general counsel, we work alongside your leadership team on an ongoing basis. We join your calls when legal issues are on the agenda. We review contracts before they bottleneck your sales cycle. We flag regulatory changes before they become compliance emergencies.
You get the strategic perspective of a Chief Legal Officer without adding a full-time executive to your payroll.
Here's what a typical month looks like:
- Regular check-ins aligned to your board cycle and deal flow
- Contract review and negotiation as deals come in (not batched quarterly)
- Regulatory monitoring for your specific sector and jurisdiction
- Direct access for the ad-hoc questions that come up between meetings
- Coordination with outside specialists when you need domain expertise we don't carry in-house
Outside GC vs. Hiring a Firm for One-Off Projects
When you hire a law firm for a single matter, you get an answer to the question you asked. But nobody's watching the full picture.
An outside GC sees across your cap table, your contracts, your regulatory obligations, and your growth plan. We spot the issues that live in the gaps between individual matters. That's the stuff that bites founders at the worst possible time: during a raise, an acquisition, or a regulatory audit.
One-Off Law Firm
You call when you have a problem. They bill for the answer. Context resets every time.
Outside GC
We already know your business, your contracts, your cap table, and your risk profile. When something comes up, we're already three steps in.
Is This Right for Your Company?
Outside GC works best for companies that have outgrown "ask my buddy who went to law school" but aren't ready for a $350K general counsel hire. That usually means:
- Funded startups that have closed a seed or Series A and are facing their first real regulatory complexity
- Growth-stage companies scaling into new markets, new jurisdictions, or new contract structures
- Companies in regulated industries (clean energy, AI/ML, advanced manufacturing, oil and gas, enterprise tech) where the legal landscape shifts faster than most firms can track
- Founder-led teams that want a legal partner who's operated on their side of the table
If you're pre-revenue and bootstrapping, we're probably not the right fit yet. If you're post-Series B and need a 40-person legal team, you've outgrown us. The sweet spot is everything in between.
How We Structure It
We work on a flat monthly service fee. You get a set number of hours each month for your day-to-day legal needs, billed in arrears at the end of each month. No upfront retainer. No surprise invoices. No billing by the tenth of an hour for reading your email.
We'll scope the engagement during our initial strategy session based on your deal velocity, regulatory complexity, and how much support your stage of growth typically requires. Most clients land on a monthly arrangement that covers their ongoing legal needs, with a clear process for handling larger one-off matters that fall outside the monthly scope.
We'll walk through your current legal needs and whether outside GC is the right model for where you are right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does outside general counsel cost?
Outside general counsel services are provided through predictable flat-fee monthly arrangements, typically ranging from $3,000 to $15,000+ per month depending on company stage, complexity, and scope. Our flat-fee model provides cost predictability and aligns incentives.
What is the difference between outside general counsel and a traditional law firm?
Outside general counsel (OGC) functions as an embedded member of your leadership team, providing ongoing strategic legal guidance for a predictable monthly fee. This model provides continuous counsel, proactive risk management, board participation, and deep company context through an ongoing relationship rather than project-based billing.
When should a company hire outside general counsel?
Companies typically benefit from outside general counsel when they: (1) have completed seed funding and are preparing to scale, (2) face complex regulatory requirements in their industry, (3) need strategic legal advice but can't justify a full-time hire, (4) are preparing for significant transactions like fundraising or M&A, or (5) want proactive legal guidance rather than reactive problem-solving.
What is included in outside general counsel services?
Our OGC services include: strategic legal leadership and board meeting participation, proactive risk management and compliance reviews, transaction support for customer contracts through complex M&A, regulatory compliance frameworks, IP strategy oversight, employment matters, and responsive support through established communication channels. The specific scope is customized to each client's needs and growth stage.
What industries does Consilium Law serve?
We serve growth companies in regulated and technology-driven industries including: clean energy and climate technology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, industrial innovation and advanced manufacturing, oil and gas technology, and enterprise technology and infrastructure. Our industry focus allows us to provide counsel that understands your specific regulatory landscape and deal structures.
What is fractional general counsel?
Fractional general counsel is another term for outside general counsel, an arrangement where companies engage experienced legal counsel on a part-time or as-needed basis rather than hiring a full-time in-house attorney. The "fractional" model allows growing companies to access senior legal experience and strategic guidance for a fraction of the cost of a full-time Chief Legal Officer.
How is outside general counsel different from in-house counsel?
In-house counsel is a full-time employee dedicated to one company. Outside general counsel provides similar strategic legal leadership but on a flexible, flat-fee basis. OGC can also bring cross-industry insights from working with multiple companies, while in-house counsel offers deeper singular company context. For many growth-stage companies, OGC provides flexibility that matches their stage.
What jurisdictions does Consilium Law serve?
Consilium Law LLC is licensed to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia. For clients with legal needs in other jurisdictions, we work with qualified local counsel to ensure coordinated, compliant representation. Many transactional matters can be handled directly under our licensed jurisdictions, while matters requiring local bar admission are coordinated with trusted local counsel relationships.
Ready to Talk?
Schedule a strategy session. We'll walk through where your company is, what's coming, and whether we're the right fit.
Schedule a Strategy Session