General Counsel Services
Investing in an in-house legal team, at times, does not make sense for an organization, whether that organization is a start-up or emerging enterprise, a nonprofit organization, or a private and/or closely-held company. For many organizations, cost and operational efficiencies can be gained by outsourcing all or a majority of an in-house legal function.
These efficiencies include:
- Utilization of junior and mid-level attorneys who can handle the more routine and day-to-day legal matters so a general or in-house counsel can focus on strategic work.
- Access to thought leaders in different areas of the law who can provide “best in class” perspectives on evolving trends, strategies and risks.
- Flexible arrangements that reflect needs, priorities and budget parameters.
- Assisting with attorney secondments and short-term staffing needs.
- Performing legal department evaluations.
- Advising first-time general counsel.
The Harter Secrest & Emery General Counsel Services team consists of attorneys who are former general counsel and others who regularly serve as lead corporate counsel to clients without in-house counsel capabilities or who have limited in-house resources. Utilizing our teams’ in-house experience and industry know-how—coupled with the resources of a full-service business law firm—we provide effective advice and counsel to organizations that seek to develop an outsourced legal function or supplement their current legal function with dedicated resources.
An Outsourced Legal Model Reflecting Your Priorities
When operating as an outside general counsel, or in support of a “stretched thin” in-house legal department, we provide clients with an “à la carte” experience: clients select the most relevant services to their operational and legal needs, and we provide the team.
Services in outsourced arrangements often include:
- Business and legal risk assessment and advice
- Corporate governance including strategic partnering with executive leadership
- Routine corporate secretarial functions, including preparation and maintenance of minutes and other books and records
- Compliance policies and program
- Contract law (drafting, advising, negotiating, and contract process management)
- Employment law, including day-to-day counseling and compliance
- Employee benefit plan design and advice
- Environmental compliance programs
- Legal department audit
- Trademark, patents, and other intellectual property protection
- Privacy and data security
- Real estate leasing and portfolio management
- State and federal tax advice
How It Works
As with all firm clients, we tailor our General Counsel Services to each client’s needs and budget. The goal is always to provide the client with a cost-effective plan that makes sense from an operational and budget perspective. For many clients, a retainer that provides monthly predictability around cost and scope of work makes the most sense. For others, a volume-based hourly rate for covered work is sufficient. In short, we partner with our clients to develop the approach that works for them.
Our approach also includes an investment of our time to learn and understand each client’s business and culture to ensure our work product delivers value, focuses on what matters most to the client, reflects legal and commercial best practices and ultimately serves the client’s needs.
Our Team
Our General Counsel Services team members have experience managing legal departments, orchestrating multidisciplinary teams of lawyers, and serving as the primary counsel to privately-held, publicly-traded, family-run, middle-market and non-profit organizations.
Key Contacts
Edward J. Pelta
Former general counsel at Gleason Corporation and ALSTOM Signaling, Inc., with decades of experience leading legal departments
Mark J. Stuhlmiller
Former general counsel at Aleron Group and deputy general counsel with Computer Task Group, Inc. with more than two decades of experience leading legal departments
Stephen R.
Van Arsdale
Former general counsel at Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. with more than two decades of experience leading a legal department
R. Kenneth Boehner
Former general counsel for the group of companies and charities of an iconic sports figure and philanthropist; more than 30 years of experience leading international and multi-jurisdictional transactions
Joseph G. Casion
More than 20 years of experience serving as outside general counsel to nonprofits and privately-held companies
Daniel W. Collins
Lead corporate and general counsel to family-owned and closely-held businesses
Phillip A. Delmont
More than 20 years of experience counseling small to middle-market companies
Timothy M. Fitzgerald
More than 30 years of experience counseling professional service and other mid-market companies
Michael Roche
Lead corporate counsel for nonprofits and privately-held companies in regulated industries
Sheldon Smith
More than 20 years of experience counseling small to middle-market companies
Craig S. Wittlin
More 30 years of experience as lead corporate counsel; currently serving as outside general counsel for major Northeast grocery store chain
Major Regional Grocery Store Chain
HSE’s Role: Outside General Counsel
Upon the retirement of a longtime general counsel, a regional grocery store chain decided to outsource the company’s legal function to one law firm. The company turned to HSE to serve as primary outside Corporate Counsel. For nearly a decade, HSE has been overseeing the company’s legal services, under the direction of and in support of the VP of Legal Services. In that time, the company has benefited from significant savings, on-call access to attorneys in wide range of practices, and has fostered deep and expansive professional relationships.
National Dairy Cooperative
HSE’s Role: Outside General Counsel
After serving as one of the client’s outside law firms for more than forty years, one of the country’s largest dairy cooperatives turned to HSE to outsource its handle nearly its entire legal function upon the retirement of its longtime general counsel. Leveraging our deep institutional knowledge of the company’s strategic goals and legal operations, we established a retainer arrangement offering the client on-demand access to a wide range of HSE attorneys across multiple practice areas with cost predictability.
Leading Consumer Purchase Company
HSE’s Role: Interim Outside General Counsel
HSE acts as corporate, privacy and intellectual property counsel for a leading consumer purchase company. When the client’s general counsel retired, HSE stepped in as interim general counsel. Once the new general counsel was hired, HSE facilitated the transition of all on-going matters back to in-house counsel and continues to serve as the client’s go-to outside counsel.
Global Technology Company
HSE’s Role: Commercial Counsel to Contract Manufacturing Business Unit
A global provider of advanced manufacturing products and services turned to HSE to provide commercial legal services to the manufacturer’s contract manufacturing business unit after the retirement of the in-house attorney supporting this business unit. HSE provides advice to the business unit and reviews, prepares and revises its supply agreements and other commercial contracts on a regular basis, working directly with the business unit’s Director. HSE continues to represent the company in a variety of other practice areas, including labor and employment, immigration, corporate and transactional and employee benefits.
International Chemical Manufacturer
HSE’s Role: U.S.-based Outside Corporate Counsel
When its U.S. General Counsel position became vacant, a European-headquartered international manufacturer turned to HSE to fill the role in an outside general counsel capacity for the manufacturer’s operations in the Americas. Today, HSE provides comprehensive corporate legal services on a variety of matters, collaborating directly with both local management and the European-based General Counsel to meet the client’s legal needs in the U.S. HSE’s services also include reviewing, liaising and coordinating services with other law firms in the region utilized by the client.
Key Contacts
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Mark J. Stuhlmiller, CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, FIP
Counsel
Buffalo
716.844.3750
mstuhlmiller@hselaw.com -
Team
According to our clients:
“They are a great team of bright, talented people who are incredibly knowledgeable, very customer-oriented and very good at meeting deadlines.”
“HSE is not only commercial, they are creative. Their lawyers are thoughtful problem solvers who diligently work an issue until they've achieved a solution that decreases risk and achieves the business objectives.”