Outside General Counsel Services

Not every business is ready for an ongoing Fractional General Counsel retainer. Some companies need help with a single transaction, a targeted legal audit, or a specific governance project before they commit to an embedded relationship. Outside General Counsel Services provide the same caliber of senior legal counsel on a project or as-needed basis, giving you access to Clark Meyers PC's litigation-informed expertise without the commitment of a monthly retainer.

When Outside GC Is the Right Fit

Outside General Counsel services are designed for specific situations where a full FGC retainer may not yet be appropriate. Companies preparing for a single acquisition or divestiture that need experienced transaction counsel without an ongoing commitment. Early-stage businesses with limited budgets that need foundational legal work, such as entity formation, initial contract templates, and basic governance documents. Companies that want to experience the quality of Clark Meyers PC's counsel before transitioning to a full retainer.

The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends that businesses establish legal counsel relationships early, but acknowledges that the scope of engagement should match the company's current stage and needs. Outside GC provides a structured entry point.

What Outside GC Looks Like in Practice

An Outside GC engagement at Clark Meyers PC is scoped to a specific deliverable or project with clear timelines and fixed-fee pricing. Common engagements include comprehensive legal audits that assess your contract portfolio, governance status, and compliance posture. Transaction support for a specific acquisition, capital raise, or partnership restructuring. Contract template development that creates a standardized set of agreements for your most common transaction types. Governance modernization projects that update bylaws, operating agreements, or board procedures.

Every Outside GC engagement is led by a co-founder, not delegated to junior associates. You receive the same senior-level attention and litigation-informed perspective that FGC retainer clients receive, applied to a defined project scope.

How Outside GC Converts to Fractional General Counsel

The majority of Clark Meyers PC's FGC retainer clients began with a single Outside GC project. The conversion typically follows a natural pattern. A company engages us for a specific matter, such as an acquisition or contract audit. During that engagement, we identify additional legal needs that the company was either unaware of or managing inadequately. The company experiences the value of proactive, embedded counsel and recognizes that ongoing access would prevent future problems more cost-effectively than periodic reactive engagements.

The transition from Outside GC to FGC is seamless because we have already developed familiarity with the company's operations, contracts, and governance structure during the initial project. There is no onboarding delay because the relationship foundation is already established.

Real Example: M&A Transaction to FGC Retainer

A Treasure Valley company generating eight million dollars in annual revenue engaged Clark Meyers PC to represent them in acquiring a competitor. The Outside GC engagement covered due diligence, purchase agreement negotiation, and closing management. During due diligence, our attorneys identified three material contract risks in the target company's agreements, a governance deficiency in the client's own corporate structure, and a compliance gap that could have created liability post-acquisition.

After closing the transaction, the company recognized that the same attorney attention, applied proactively on an ongoing basis, could prevent similar issues from developing internally. They transitioned to a Fractional General Counsel retainer within sixty days of closing. Within six months, contract infrastructure was standardized across both entities, governance was modernized, and the CEO reported reclaiming over fifteen hours per month previously spent on legal matters. The total annual cost of the FGC retainer was less than the legal fees they had paid in the previous year through hourly engagements with three different law firms.

"Working with the firm feels like the attorneys read my mind. They understand both the legal mechanics and the business realities behind every decision we face." — Bill Essert, Wooden Windows

For a complete guide to FGC, see What Is Fractional General Counsel? For common questions, visit 12 FGC Questions Answered.

Conor Meyers

Co-Founder, Clark Meyers PC — California License #157601

Sitting CEO and General Counsel of ACE Building Envelope Design, Inc. and Chief Legal Officer of ZEA Biosciences.