Whether you’re just launching your small business or have operated for years, you may not possess the resources to have an in-house legal team. Large companies might have their own legal teams, but other solutions exist for small-to-medium-sized businesses.
Dungan & LeFevre offers an alternative to hiring a full-time legal team. As outside general counsel, we can collaborate with your business to provide legal services in-house counsel might offer for a price you can afford.
Call 937-770-6225 to schedule your consultation and to learn more about our services.
What Is Outside General Counsel?
As the name implies, outside general counsel refers to lawyers or law firms that operate independently from other businesses while working for those businesses. Lawyers can work as independent contractors.
Outside general counsel functions like in-house counsel. You can arrange a contract for hours or expected work, but they’ll essentially represent your business’s legal needs.
General Counsel Can Draft, Review, and Provide Legal Documents
As an outside general counsel, Dungan & LeFevre’s attorneys will help you create any legal documents you need to run your business. They can help create new contracts or policies or update existing documentation.
Having an experienced and knowledgeable employment law attorney help you with your legal needs allows you to focus on running your business. You can trust Dungan & LeFevre with your legal documents as your outside general counsel.
Your General Counsel Can Act as Your Legal Representative
As your general counsel, your lawyer will be the primary contact for legal issues facing the company. That could be business transactions, but sometimes it could mean working on employment discrimination cases or workplace disputes.
Employment law is complex. There are federal and state regulations to navigate, along with judicial decisions involving workplace practices. You can trust your outside general counsel to help you with:
Workplace Discrimination Claims
As an employer, you have a duty to fair employment and to provide a safe environment for your employees. When you are accused of discrimination by a current or former employee, your outside general counsel can represent you.
Discrimination claims are commonly brought on the grounds of:
- Race, gender, age, and disability
- Religious harassment
- Retaliation
- Family and Medical Leave Act violations
Your general counsel will help you defend against these disputes. They can guide you through each step of the process. Your lawyer will review the allegations and build a case to prove you operated within your rights without discriminating.
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission could become involved if your employee asserts you have violated employment law. Your attorney will represent you throughout their investigation.
If the EEOC does not find you’ve discriminated against your employee, the employee could still file a discrimination lawsuit. They will have to prove you committed a discriminatory act. Your general counsel can help you prove you acted within your purview and your legal rights.
Employee Discipline
As an employer, you will focus on your business and how to run it effectively. If you have an employee underperforming or negatively affecting your company, you could be within your rights to discipline them.
Your legal counsel will advise you on what is within your power. Too often, an employer may take out their feelings against an employee, which could lead to a discrimination suit. Your attorney can outline options to reprimand your employee or terminate them. Protect yourself and your business with outside general counsel.
Breach of Contract or Noncompete Clauses
You expect your employees to abide by the agreements they sign when they join your business. However, there could be times when an employee breaks a contract or noncompete clause. Your legal counsel can ensure your contract is legal and that you have a case to pursue a breach of contract lawsuit against your former employee.
Noncompete clauses are meant to protect your revenue. Your employees will know your company’s secrets. If they choose to share these secrets with a competitor, you may have a case for a civil lawsuit for damages caused by their loose tongue.
Wrongful Allegations
When you own a company, you’re responsible for operating a profitable business while managing your employees. When you feel an employee is unfairly targeting you in a discrimination claim, you will want to protect your company.
A dispute can affect more than just your bottom line: your reputation and credibility could be in jeopardy, especially if the allegations are false or misleading.
Our employment law attorneys can review your policies and procedures, and investigate the dispute, to see if the employee has a case. We will work with you to determine your legal options and how we can help you resolve the matter without undue duress. If the matter can’t be resolved with an alternative resolution, we can take it to court.
How Are Legal Issues Resolved in the Workplace?
You might assume every legal issue may lead to a trial. That isn’t always the case. Many attorneys may push for “alternative dispute resolutions.”
These procedures allow the parties in a lawsuit to avoid litigation. All parties must agree upon them. They include:
- Arbitration: These proceedings take place in front of an arbitrator. An arbitrator is neutral to either party and selected by the plaintiffs and defendants. Both sides will present their arguments, and the arbitrator will make a binding decision. Using this method means the parties cannot take the matter to court.
- Mediation: Like arbitration, both parties in a lawsuit can present their arguments to a mediator. The mediation process is private and confidential. A mediator may suggest solutions to the parties involved, but they do not have a binding or final say in the matter.
- Negotiation: As an employer, your attorney can negotiate with your employee. They can outline your policies and work to clear up misunderstandings when an employee feels they’ve been wronged. Your attorney will be able to speak on your behalf and represent you.
Why Should I Consider Hiring an Outside General Counsel in Troy, OH?
Many small- or medium-sized businesses cannot hire a legal team to operate in-house. They may assume they will not encounter any legal issues after launching their business. The hard part is getting your paperwork filed with the state.
However, any number of legal issues could arise that may catch unaware business owners on their heels. Having legal representation available to help can make the process smoother.
Complicated labor laws and regulations can be difficult to track, and if you aren’t careful, you could have violated something by accident. Your outside general counsel can help assuage your legal worries. It’s an affordable solution to devoting resources to a full-time in-house legal team. Finding a knowledgeable general counsel with experience in Ohio employment law is critical to run your business successfully.
Call Dungan & LeFevre for Your Outside General Counsel Needs
The Ohio employment law attorneys at Dungan & LeFevre understand your legal needs. We know what a successful business needs and can give you support so you can devote yourself to your work.
Located in Troy, our civil litigation lawyers appreciate your goals, and we can help you navigate the legal landscape. Whether you need help creating contracts or protecting your business from workplace discrimination claims, we are ready to hear your story and help you.
Call 937-770-6225 or use our online contact form to schedule your free consultation.