BUSINESS LAW

Virtual Counsel

What is Virtual Counsel?

Getting commercially savvy legal advice at an acceptable price can be a real problem for small and mid-sized businesses. Private law firms can offer great flexibility, but often at a very high cost. Hiring in-house counsel reduces the hourly cost, but it can be impractical for smaller businesses that don’t need or want to hire a full-time staff lawyer.

Plain English Law’s Virtual Counsel service lets you strike a balance of price and flexibility: part-time counsel with in-house experience at an affordable rate, but without the long-term commitment of hiring an employee.

You can use Virtual Counsel:

  • Instead of hiring an in-house lawyer
  • As additional support to your existing in-house legal team
  • For shorter projects, such as GDPR compliance or an international expansion
  • As general counsel, providing strategic advice
    to the board of directors

When you use Virtual Counsel, you get the benefits of an experienced in-house business lawyer without taking on additional headcount. It’s in-house thinking and commercial focus paired with the flexibility you expect from a private law firm.

We can take responsibility for resolving legal issues as they arise, as well as working alongside you as you plan ahead. Like any good in-house legal team, we do business advice first, and legal technicalities second. That’s where our true added value lies. 

Those contracts you’ve been meaning to update? Or that overseas subsidiary you’ve put off launching because of the red tape? We can help get your business on a sound footing and then work alongside you to develop the strategies you need to grow. Need more specialised advice on competition law, or to pursue a claim in the courts? We can find appropriate support and instruct them for you, so you can focus on what you do best.