Outside General Counsel Services

Practical and Responsive Legal Guidance for Central Indiana Businesses. Small, mid-size and startup businesses located in Carmel, Indianapolis, and throughout Central Indiana often require practical, responsive legal guidance but may not have the resources to maintain a full-time, in-house attorney. DKB LEGAL’s Outside General Counsel services are designed to liberate owners of small, mid-size, and startup companies, allowing them to focus on their core business operations and growth. By providing ongoing, on-demand legal support that is tailored to each company’s operations, risk profile, and long-term objectives, DKB LEGAL ensures that business leaders can operate with confidence and efficiency.

An Extension of Your Leadership Team. DKB LEGAL functions as an integral part of your leadership team. We deliver the legal insights necessary for running your business confidently, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Meeting Legal and Compliance Challenges. In today’s complex business environment, companies of all sizes must navigate a growing array of legal, compliance, and regulatory challenges. While larger organizations typically employ a full-time in-house general counsel to address these needs, this solution is not always feasible for smaller businesses due to the high costs involved. Hiring a full-time attorney to provide advice on entity formation, transactions, corporate governance, employment matters, dispute resolution, regulatory compliance, and other legal concerns may exceed the budgets of many companies. Likewise, engaging a law firm on an hourly basis may not be ideal, as fees can quickly become prohibitive.

A Cost-Effective Legal Solution. DKB LEGAL offers an alternative through its outside—or part-time—general counsel services, provided on a fixed fee basis. Clients pay a relatively low, agreed-upon fee with no additional charges for hours worked. This fee structure aligns DKB LEGAL’s interests with those of its clients, promoting efficient and cost-effective solutions to legal and compliance issues. Clients can freely consult with DKB LEGAL without concerns about escalating costs, and our focus remains on resolving challenges quickly and accurately rather than generating billable hours.

Comprehensive Assessment and Strategic Planning. We begin each outside general counsel engagement by conducting a thorough assessment of the client’s objectives, policies, strategies, operating methods, processes, products, services, suppliers, customers, and relevant regulatory and compliance requirements. This process enables us to identify and evaluate legal risks, needs, and opportunities. Working collaboratively with our clients, we develop a customized strategy aimed at minimizing risks and maximizing opportunities.

Day-to-Day Legal Support and Issue Management. After the initial assessment and strategic planning, DKB LEGAL serves as the primary point of contact for resolving identified legal issues and handling the daily legal and compliance challenges that arise. This approach provides clients with immediate access to an experienced attorney who can address issues efficiently, effectively, and with minimal learning curve—all at a fraction of the cost of employing a full-time in-house attorney or retaining a traditional law firm on an hourly basis.

Coordination with Other Professionals. As part of our outside general counsel service, we assist clients in identifying, selecting, and coordinating with other specialized professionals, including legal specialists, accountants, and tax advisers. We evaluate the reasonableness of fees, monitor performance, and act as advocates for our clients in managing these relationships.

Tailored Legal Services. The specific services provided by DKB LEGAL to its outside general counsel clients are customized to address each client’s unique needs and circumstances. Generally, our services include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

  • Employment / Human Resources:

    • Review, assessment, and revision of employee handbooks and written employment policies.

    • Drafting and revising restrictive covenants, including non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements.

    • Assistance with employee reviews and performance management, including progressive discipline tracking.

    • Processing employee separations.

    • General labor law compliance.

  • Operations:

    • Review of operations, key contracts, vendor relationships, processes, and key documents.

    • Drafting, negotiating, reviewing, and resolving disputes related to commercial contracts, such as employment, independent contractor, vendor, customer, reseller, purchase, lease, and licensing agreements.

    • Assistance with intellectual property management.

    • Drafting, review, and modification of privacy policies, terms of use, and other internet and information technology issues.

    • Pre-litigation dispute resolution and collections strategies.

    • Regulatory compliance.

  • Company Governance:

    • Analysis and filings for entity formation.

    • Assistance with minute books, preparation of board and shareholder resolutions, and attendance at board meetings.

    • Review and implementation of corporate governance procedures.

    • Drafting, negotiating, reviewing, and resolving disputes related to company documents, including partnership or operating agreements, buyout agreements, and bylaws.

  • General:

    • Risk analysis and mitigation strategies.

    • Day-to-day counseling and advice.

    • Ongoing guidance regarding the legal implications of business decisions.

    • Early identification, avoidance, and resolution of disputes.

    • Reduced rates for litigated matters.

    • Management and review of relationships with a network of legal specialists.