Best Practices To Hire Outside General Counsel Services

Word of mouth doesn’t seem to be as reliable as it should be. Learn the best practices to hire outside general counsel services for your business.

The first thing that comes to mind when you need a service is to ask a friend or someone if they know anyone who can deliver.

This is also true when it comes to legal counsel. There’s no reason to doubt any recommendation from your friends, right?

We understand that excessive outside legal spend can be a fear why you might ask your friends for recommendations.

At Boesch Law Group, we believe you shouldn’t just go for any outside general counsel services based on word of mouth alone.

We’ve been in the business for over 20 years, so we know how it works. We’ve helped clients succeed, and we treat every case like it matters most to you.

We’re a Los Angeles-based law firm combining big‑league legal skills with small‑firm care.

So, just because your friend’s legal counsel delivered a good ROI for their company doesn’t mean they’ll be a good fit for your business.

Walk with us as we show you 5 ways you can get the best outside general counsel. Let’s get into it.

1. Research Vendor Service Offerings

Your outside counsel is a significant investment. Just because a vendor has a certain practice area (PA) doesn’t mean it’s one of their top practice areas.

So, do your homework before picking vendors to find ones that make the most sense for your business.

Review their website to develop an understanding of their practice area and the teams behind it.

You need vendors who have handled similar legal matters to the work you need handled.

You can find this information by reading through the PA pages, attorney and paralegal bios, and client testimonials.

When evaluating practice areas, also check if any are ranked by Chambers.

The more your attorney gets to know more about your business, the more tailored advice they can provide.

2. Research Staffing

Another factor to consider while reviewing their offerings is the level of staffing.

For ethical reasons, there’s been a push for greater diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

This also adds major business benefits.

It’s been said that a wider variety of backgrounds and perspectives improves the quality of work, innovation, and profitability.

You can browse different bios to get an idea of whether their staffing is a homogeneous group.

And you can still ask them to share their American Bar Association Model Diversity Survey results if they have one.

In addition, see if you can find any information on their firm’s Diversity and Inclusion work.

3. Compare Prices

Don’t just rely on guessing or settle on the first cost you see. Compare their costs with the average rates of others.

You can make this comparison in spreadsheets.

When checking prospective counselors, you should also ask if they’re open to alternative fee arrangements (AFAs).

This type of billing model is different from hourly rates. They bring more predictability to how much you spend because you know the final cost ahead.

These arrangements also help you avoid being charged for non-billable work, and your attorney abruptly stops their work.

4. Consider Alternative Legal Service Providers

Yes, this is vital. Don’t just go with the first law firm suggested to you.

Otherwise, you’ll miss out on the main benefits of working with an alternative legal service provider (ALSP).

They are becoming well-known as they offer many similar services to traditional law firms for lower prices.

ALSPs work with automation and AI. So, they’re a smart option for low-level, high-volume work like contract management, document review, and legal research.

Taking this work off your in-house legal department’s plate affords them enough time to focus on strategic priorities, like optimizing spend.

You’ll also reduce the risk of higher detachment and burnout, especially on teams who are already busy.

5. Assess Their Data Security And Privacy Protection

Make sure they have the right cybersecurity measures in place. This is necessary for risk management practice.

Law firms are major targets for cybercriminals, and they’ve suffered a data breach at some point.

To avoid falling into a third-party data breach, ask them about how their organization secures data.

If the attorney you’re speaking with doesn’t know, ask him to connect you with their IT department so you can ask the following questions:

• Has your firm encountered a data breach?
• If yes, when? And what was the cause? What steps were taken to prevent a recurrence?
• What cybersecurity tools and processes does your firm use to protect data?
• Do you have a data retention policy?
• Do you have a cybersecurity incident response policy?
• Do you have cybersecurity insurance?

Having this conversation ahead of time is key and can save you a lot of money in the long run.

6. Connect With Them As People, Not Just Professionals

The relationship between outside general counsel services and your in-house lawyers determines whether a matter will be successful or not.

The legal advice of the external attorneys is as important as how well they connect with your in-house counsel.

So, during the interview, assess their soft skills.

You don’t want to invest in a new outside general counsel California only to find out that your legal team is finding it hard to work with them.

The ability to connect with colleagues on a human level fosters strong, positive working relationships.

Conclusion: Let’s Be Your Next Legal Counsel

So that’s it! The best practices for finding the right outside general counsel services.

Ensure you apply one of the following strategies to get the right one.

But if you don’t have the time to do all those investigations, that’s where we come in handy.

We’re Boesch Law Group, a Los Angeles law firm with a history of giving big‑firm results while keeping things personal.

We handle all kinds of business and commercial disputes, help people injured in accidents, guide creators through entertainment law, and manage trust, estate, and probate matters.

For over 20 years, we’ve helped clients handle tough problems and come out ahead.

At Boesch Law Group, what matters to you matters to us.

Our goal is to understand your needs, stick by your side, and fight for the outcome you deserve.

When you work with us, you’re not a case number. You’re a person we’ll get to know and stand with.

We’re always ready to listen to your story and create a smart, honest plan to protect you.

Visit our website to get all the contact information you need to get our attention. We’re waiting for you.