Burns Legal acts as Outside General Counsel (OGC) for start-ups and established companies that do not have in-house counsel.  When companies retain Burns Legal as Outside General Counsel, they have 24/7 access to experienced and proficient legal advice for legal issues and problems that often arise unexpectedly.  Burns Legal may be retained as Outside General Counsel for a fixed monthly, quarterly or annual base retainer fee, a discounted hourly rate or a combination of a fixed fee and reduced hourly rate for certain legal services. Burns Legal’s Outside General Counsel services include the following:

general counsel
  • Quick settlement of business disputes without the need to go to court.
  • Management of litigation including supervising outside litigation counsel and e-discovery compliance.
  • Representation in arbitration proceedings.
  • Representation in mediation and settlement conferences as settlement counsel.
  • Advice on formation and governance of corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships.
  • Preparation of frequently used form commercial and employment agreements so they are ready when needed.
  • Negotiation and drafting of supplier, services, and purchase and sale agreements.
  • Contract review, interpretation and compliance advice to determine the company’s contractual rights.
  • Preparation of Internet website Terms of Use and Privacy Policies that comply with data privacy laws.
  • Advice on regulatory compliance and reducing the risk of regulatory actions.
  • Brand protection and enforcement, including trademark and trade dress registration and injunctive relief.
  • Copyright protection and enforcement, including registration of copyrightable works and injunctive relief.
  • Patent protection and enforcement, including supervision of patent application, prosecution and litigation.
  • Trade secret and confidential information protection including protection protocols and non-disclosure agreements (NDA).
  • Negotiation and drafting of employment agreements.
  • Negotiation and review of secured and unsecured loan agreements.
  • Negotiation of workouts with financial institutions and other creditors.
  • Supervision of capital formation including angel investor, venture capital, and shareholder agreements.
  • Supervision of mergers and acquisitions by the company and sale of substantially all of the assets of the company.
  • Supervision of regulatory compliance.
  • Risk management and reducing the risk of legal liability from business operations and employment relationships.