Outside General Counsel for Startups and Growing Businesses

Grow Your Business With a Trusted Legal Partner

Think of us as your company's legal department providing experienced legal counsel whenever important business decisions arise, without the cost of hiring a full-time in-house attorney.

Whether you're launching your company, hiring employees, negotiating important contracts, raising capital, or preparing for your next stage of growth, we'll help you make confident business decisions while building a long-term legal partnership that becomes more valuable over time.

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Not Sure Where Your Business Stands Legally?

Every growing business has legal blind spots.

The challenge is identifying them before they become expensive problems.

Our Business Legal Assessment helps you evaluate your company's legal foundation and identify opportunities to reduce risk, strengthen your business, and prepare for future growth.

✔ Takes just a few minutes

✔ Receive personalized recommendations

✔ Free and no obligation

Take the Free Business Legal Assessment

Every Growing Business Reaches a Point Where Legal Decisions Become Business Decisions

As your company grows, legal questions become more frequent - and the consequences of getting them wrong become more significant.

As a founder, you're expected to make important legal decisions almost every week, even though you didn't go to law school. Every new opportunity brings new legal considerations, and making the wrong decision can be costly.

You may be asking yourself:

  • Can I sign this contract as-is, or should I negotiate better terms?  
  • Should I hire an employee or an independent contractor?  
  • How do I protect my company's intellectual property?  
  • Is my business ready to raise outside investment?  
  • What legal risks should I be thinking about that I haven't even considered?  

You shouldn't have to navigate those decisions alone. Having a trusted legal advisor who understands your business allows you to make informed decisions with confidence so you can stay focused on growing your company.

The Earlier You Address Legal Issues, the Better  

Many legal problems don't start in a courtroom.

They start with:

  • A contract that wasn't negotiated carefully
  • A founder agreement that didn't anticipate future growth
  • An employee classification mistake
  • Intellectual property that wasn't properly protected
  • Compliance issues that weren't discovered until it was too late

Most of these problems can be prevented with proactive legal guidance.

Wondering whether your business has any of these legal blind spots?

Take our Free Business Legal Assessment and receive personalized recommendations in just a few minutes.

Take the Free Business Legal Assessment

We Believe the Best Legal Advice Happens Before You Need It

Our goal isn't simply to solve legal problems after they occur.

It's to help you make better business decisions before problems ever arise.

Whether you're evaluating an important contract, hiring your first employee, raising capital, expanding into a new state, or simply wondering whether you're overlooking a legal risk, we're here to help you make informed decisions with confidence.

Because the best legal outcome is often preventing the problem altogether.

Why Founders Choose Bend Law Group as Their Outside General Counsel

Legal Isn't the Goal.

Building a Successful Business Is.

We believe great legal advice should do more than solve today's legal problems. It should help you build a stronger business tomorrow.

We take the time to understand your business, your goals, your industry, and how you make decisions. Every conversation builds on the last, allowing our advice to become more strategic, more practical, and more valuable over time.

Our goal is to become a trusted legal partner whose understanding of your business grows alongside your company - so you spend less time bringing your attorneys up to speed and more time moving your business forward.

Ready to have a legal partner who understands your business?

Contact Us

What Makes Our Approach Different

Business-First Advice

We don't just explain what the law allows. We help you understand the practical business implications of your options so you can make informed decisions with confidence.

Long-Term Relationships

The longer we work together, the more valuable our advice becomes. Because we already understand your business, we spend less time getting up to speed and more time helping you make better business decisions.

Responsive Communication

Business decisions can't wait a week for legal advice. We strive to provide timely guidance when you need it most.

Practical Guidance

Our goal is to help you move your business forward - not generate unnecessary legal work.

Clear Communication

We explain complex legal issues in plain English so you can make informed decisions with confidence.

Is Outside General Counsel Right for You?

This relationship is a great fit if you:

✔ You're a founder or business owner without in-house legal counsel.

✔ Your business is growing and you're hiring employees, negotiating contracts, raising capital, or expanding.

✔ You want proactive legal guidance before issues become expensive problems.

✔ You'd rather have a trusted legal advisor than search for a different lawyer every time a new issue comes up.

✔ You're looking for practical business advice - not just legal answers.

Our Clients Often Reach Out Before They...

One of the greatest advantages of having outside general counsel is knowing you always have an experienced legal advisor to call before making an important business decision - not after a legal issue has already developed.

Our clients often reach out before they:

  • Sign an important customer or vendor agreement
  • Hire or terminate an employee
  • Bring on a business partner or key executive
  • Raise investment capital
  • Launch a new product or service
  • Expand into another state
  • Purchase another business
  • Sell their company

Sometimes the best legal advice isn't solving today's legal problem.

It's helping you make a better business decision before a problem ever arises.

Whether your question is large or small, we're here to provide business-focused legal advice that helps you move forward with confidence.  

How We Help Throughout the Life of Your Business

Build Your Foundation  

Build your company on a strong legal foundation from day one.

  • Choosing the right entity
  • Founder agreements
  • Operating agreements
  • Corporate governance

Navigate Everyday Decisions  

Practical legal guidance for the decisions growing businesses make every day.

  • Reviewing customer agreements  
  • Negotiating vendor contracts  
  • Employment issues (link to the corresponding page)
  • Independent contractor agreements  
  • Privacy policies  
  • Website terms  
  • Commercial leases  (link to the corresponding page)
  • Intellectual property  (link to the corresponding practice page)
  • Corporate governance

Scale With Confidence  

Legal support to help your company scale with confidence.

  • SAFE financings (link to the corresponding page)
  • Series Seed and Series A financings
  • Equity incentive plans
  • Strategic partnerships
  • Multi-state expansion

Plan for Major Transitions  

Wherever your business is today, we can help you navigate the legal decisions that come with each stage of growth.

  • Buying a business (link to the corresponding page)
  • Selling a business (link to the corresponding page)
  • Succession planning
  • Business restructurings

How Our Outside General Counsel Relationship Works

Step 1

We Learn Your Business

We take the time to understand your business model, goals, team, and growth plans so every piece of advice is grounded in your business - not generic legal principles.

Step 2

We Become Part of Your Team

Rather than hiring a different attorney for each legal issue, you have an experienced legal team that already understands your business and is available whenever important decisions arise. As we get to know your company, our advice becomes faster, more practical, and better aligned with your long-term objectives.

Step 3

We Help You Grow With Confidence

As your company evolves, we continue providing proactive legal guidance that helps you reduce risk, seize new opportunities, and stay focused on building your business.

Our goal is to help you say "yes" to more opportunities - not "no" because you're worried about legal risk.

As we get to know your business, our advice becomes increasingly valuable. Rather than explaining your company to a different attorney every time an issue arises, you have a legal team that already understands your business and can provide practical, strategic guidance whenever important decisions arise.

Ready to Build a Long-Term Legal Partnership?

Whether you're just getting started or preparing for your next stage of growth, we'd love to learn more about your business.

Contact Us

Not Ready to Talk Yet?

Take our Free Business Legal Assessment to identify potential legal risks and receive practical recommendations for your business

Business Legal Assessment

Why Many Clients Stay With Us for Years

The longer we work together, the more value we can provide.

Instead of explaining your business to a different attorney every time a legal issue arises, you have a legal team that already understands your company, your goals, your industry, and your approach to risk.

That means:

  • Faster answers  
  • More practical recommendations  
  • Better-informed legal advice  
  • Less time getting new attorneys up to speed  
  • Greater consistency across legal matters  
  • More confidence making important business decisions  

As your business grows and evolves, so does our understanding of it - allowing us to provide increasingly strategic guidance throughout every stage of your company's journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of having an outside general counsel?

An outside general counsel provides more than legal advice - they become a trusted advisor who helps you make better business decisions as your company grows.

Instead of hiring different attorneys for individual projects, you have a legal partner who understands your business, your goals, and your long-term strategy. That means you spend less time explaining your business and more time moving it forward.

Some of the key benefits include:

  • Proactive guidance. Identify and address legal issues before they become costly problems.  
  • Better business decisions. Get practical legal advice that helps you evaluate opportunities and manage risk with confidence.  
  • Greater efficiency. Because your legal team already understands your business, you spend less time explaining your company and receive advice that's more tailored to your goals.
  • Consistency. Receive coordinated guidance across contracts, employment, financing, intellectual property, governance, and other legal matters.  
  • Cost-effective support. Gain access to experienced legal counsel without the expense of hiring a full-time in-house attorney.  
  • A long-term strategic partner. As your business grows, your legal team grows with you. The deeper our understanding of your business becomes, the more practical and valuable our guidance becomes.

Whether you're negotiating an important contract, hiring employees, raising capital, protecting intellectual property, or preparing to buy or sell a business, an outside general counsel helps you make informed decisions while staying focused on growing your company.

The best legal advice isn't just about solving today's problems - it's about helping you avoid tomorrow's. Our goal is to become a trusted advisor who understands your business, anticipates challenges, and helps you build a stronger company over the long term.

How is this different from hiring an attorney for individual projects?

Hiring an attorney for individual projects is typically transactional. You engage a lawyer to complete a specific task, such as forming an LLC, reviewing a contract, or negotiating a lease, and the relationship often ends when that project is complete.

An outside general counsel relationship is different.

We take the time to learn about your business, your goals, and your industry so we can provide advice that becomes more valuable over time. Because we already understand your company, you don't have to start from scratch every time a legal issue arises.

Our goal is not simply to complete legal projects - it's to become a trusted advisor who helps you make better business decisions throughout your company's growth.

Do I need outside general counsel if I'm a small business?

Not every business needs outside general counsel, but many growing businesses benefit from having ongoing legal guidance before legal issues become expensive problems.

An outside general counsel relationship may be a good fit if you:

  • Regularly negotiate contracts or commercial agreements
  • Are hiring employees or independent contractors
  • Expect to raise investment capital
  • Own valuable intellectual property
  • Are expanding into new markets or launching new products
  • Frequently have legal questions but aren't ready to hire an in-house attorney

Even if you're not sure you're ready for an ongoing relationship, many of our clients begin by working with us on a single project and decide over time that having a trusted legal advisor makes running their business easier.

How are legal fees structured?

Every business has different legal needs, so we tailor our fee arrangements accordingly.

Many of our outside general counsel clients work with us on an hourly basis, allowing them to seek advice as legal issues arise without committing to a fixed scope of work.

For certain projects, such as entity formations or other well-defined matters, we may also offer flat-fee pricing.

During your initial consultation, we'll discuss your business, your anticipated legal needs, and the fee structure that makes the most sense for your situation. Our goal is to provide trusted legal counsel with clear communication about fees and expectations.  

Can we start with a single project before deciding on an ongoing relationship?

Absolutely.

Many of our long-term clients initially contacted us for a specific legal matter, such as forming a company, reviewing a commercial contract, negotiating a lease, raising investment capital, or buying or selling a business.

Working together on a single project allows both of us to determine whether we're a good fit.

If your legal needs continue to grow, we're happy to build an ongoing outside general counsel relationship. If you only need assistance with one project, we're equally happy to help.

Our objective is to become a trusted legal resource whenever you need us - not to sell you services you don't need.

Why hire outside general counsel instead of an in-house attorney?

For many startups and growing businesses, hiring a full-time attorney isn't yet practical.

An outside general counsel gives you access to experienced legal counsel when you need it, without the salary, benefits, overhead, and long-term commitment of hiring an in-house legal department.

As your business grows, your legal support can grow with it.

How often do clients typically work with you?

Some clients contact us every week.

Others once every month.

Others only for major business decisions.

Our relationship is designed to be flexible and evolve with your business.

What types of businesses benefit most from outside general counsel?

Outside general counsel is often a great fit for businesses that regularly make important legal decisions but aren't ready to hire a full-time in-house attorney.

We frequently work with:

• Startups

• Technology companies

• Professional service firms

• Family-owned businesses

• Growing small and midsize businesses

• Companies preparing for financing, expansion, or an eventual sale

If your business is growing and you regularly have legal questions, an outside general counsel relationship can provide ongoing support that grows with your company.

Related Practice Areas

Continue exploring how we can help:

  • SAFE Financings (link to the financing practice page)
  • Commercial Leases (link to the landing page for commercial leases)
  • Employment Law (link to the practice page)
  • Intellectual Property (link to the practice page)
  • Mergers & Acquisitions (link to the practice page)

Make Better Business Decisions With a Trusted Legal Partner

You've invested enormous time, energy, and resources into building your business. Our job is to help you protect it, strengthen it, and give you the confidence to keep moving forward.  

Running a business is hard enough. You shouldn't have to make important legal decisions alone.

Whether you're launching your company, negotiating important contracts, hiring employees, raising capital, or preparing for an eventual exit, we'll help you make confident business decisions, reduce unnecessary legal risk, and stay focused on building the business you're working so hard to create.

The best legal relationships become more valuable over time. We'd love the opportunity to get to know your business and become a trusted legal partner throughout every stage of its growth.

Contact Us
Take Our Free Business Legal Assessment

Whatever Season Your Business Is In, We're Here to Help. 

Whether you're starting your first company, expanding your team, raising capital, buying another business, or preparing for an exit, we'll help you approach your next decision with clarity and confidence.