In-House Counsel Services

For companies with legal departments, MacKelvie & Associates, P.C. offers In-House Counsel Services to fill in-house vacancies, handle work overflows, and tackle special projects.

The Challenge

Many legal departments are under intense pressure to deliver increased levels of service.  At the same time, budgetary constraints and rising internal and external legal costs make it difficult for many legal departments to fill temporary in-house vacancies, meet the demands of unexpected work overflows, and tackle special projects in a timely manner.

Our Solution

Our In-House Counsel Services provide legal departments with a cost-effective and efficient means to satisfy those persistent or episodic needs by engaging outside legal counsel with business acumen and extensive in-house experience from national and international organizations.  We have leveraged this complementary combination of critical disciplines into a service model that is distinctive in the marketplace.

• Added Value. Our In-House Counsel Services are provided by seasoned outside legal counsel with substantial in-house practice experience. Such attributes allow us to successfully complement and seamlessly integrate with a legal department or management team, and add discernible value to an organization.
   
• Client-Centric. Whether on-site or from our offices, we are committed to the kind of attentive and practical service that is expected from a skilled practitioner.  Further, unlike some temporary "contract attorney" arrangements, we regard each legal department as a valued partner, not as a temporary assignment.
   
• Flexible Engagement. Our In-House Counsel Services combine the flexibility associated with outsourcing while providing the benefits of experienced legal counsel with business acumen to:
       •  Fill short-term in-house vacancies
       •  Staff short and long-term in-house counsel roles
       •  Handle regular and unexpected work overflows
       •  Tackle special or unique projects
       •  Satisfy needed legal disciplines
       •  Discretely handle politically-sensitive legal matters

Our Billing Arrangement

In lieu of standard hourly billing, our In-House Counsel Services include alternative fee arrangements designed to provide greater budgetary control over a company's legal expenses.  Depending upon the particular circumstances, those alternative fee arrangements can include:

• Monthly retainer for a fixed monthly time commitment
• Fixed monthly fees for a designed group of services
• Fixed fees per routine services
• Flat project fees

Our Engagement

Our engagement begins with an initial interview.  Through the initial interview, we gain a general understanding of a company's structure, operations and particular needs.  We also collect information to identify any cost saving opportunities.

Based on the information collected, we work closely with a prospective client to develop a proposed services plan, which specifies our proposed services and associated fee structures.  If a company wishes to engage our services, we finalize the proposed services plan and the associated fee structures.  Thereafter, we jointly evaluate the final services plan (from time to time) to ensure that we continue to meet a company's particular needs.