General counsel in Virginia
A general counsel is the Chief Legal Officer of a company, its primary attorney.
He or she is normally a fulltime executive who advises the company on all legal issues. Depending on the size of the company, the general counsel directs other corporate attorneys to handle day-to-day legal matters. When it is necessary to litigate a matter in court, the general counsel coordinates with an outside law firm that represents the company in court. When a company "goes public," the general counsel again coordinates with an outside law firm that specializes in that area.
While most small businesses cannot afford the fulltime services of a general counsel, they have the same legal needs. That is why many small businesses hire an “outside” general counsel on an as-needed basis.
What exactly can I do for you?
1. Advise you on all potential legal issues that might arise, especially the ones hiding around the corner.
2. Advice you on actions to take in order to prevent litigation.
3. Handle all of the matters noted on this website (contracts, copyright, trademarks, employee matters, negotiations, etc.).
4. When litigation is unavoidable, coordinate with and recommend law firms to represent you in court.
5. Coordinate and recommend specialty law firms that handle mergers and acquisitions, patents, and other complex transactional matters.