Outside General Counsel | New Jersey Business Lawyer for Growing Companies
Ongoing legal counsel for New Jersey companies without in-house lawyers, covering AI governance, contracts, employment, real estate and day to day business decisions.
Most companies need a lawyer for the small questions, not the large ones
The large matters are easy to recognize and easy to staff. What growing companies lack is someone to call about the vendor clause, the departing employee, the lease renewal, the customer demand letter and the tool the operations team wants to adopt on Monday. Those questions get answered informally, or not at all, until one of them becomes expensive.
I serve as outside general counsel to companies that are past the point of improvising and not yet at the point of hiring in-house.
The value is continuity
Because I stay with a company over time, I already know the cap table, the customer contracts, the vendor obligations and what the board approved last spring. Questions get answered in context rather than from a cold start, without rebuilding that background each time.
Engagements can be structured as a monthly arrangement or a defined scope, so the company knows what it is spending before the work begins.
AI oversight belongs on the standing agenda
Companies without in-house counsel are the ones adopting AI tools fastest and reviewing them least. As outside general counsel I review vendor terms as they change, maintain the AI use policy, update employee acknowledgments and flag new state obligations as they take effect. See AI Governance and Compliance.
What the role covers day to day
Employment and human resources. Executive and employment agreements, offer letters, independent contractor classification, non-competes, non-disclosure and non-solicitation agreements, handbooks and workplace policies, equity compensation and incentive plans, hiring and termination guidance.
Contracts. Customer and vendor agreements, master services agreements, negotiation support, template development and requests for proposals.
Real estate. Commercial leasing for office, retail and industrial space, acquisitions and sales, mortgage financing and refinancing, easements, covenants and restrictions, title insurance and diligence.
Corporate maintenance. Board and shareholder consents, minute books, annual filings, equity records and option grants.
Nonprofit matters. Formation of 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations, tax-exempt status applications, fiscal sponsorships and board governance.
I will tell you when you need someone else
I do not litigate, and there are matters where specialized counsel is the right answer. Part of the role is knowing where that line is and having people to refer you to.
Considering whether this arrangement fits your company?
alan@waltercounsel.com • 973-937-8636 • Send a message