Business owners have enough on their plates without also needing a law degree. From navigating contracts to keeping up with ever-changing compliance laws, legal operations can quickly become overwhelming. And as your company grows, so do the risks and the legal paperwork.

That’s why more organizations are investing in corporate legal counsel: in-house legal professionals who know the business inside and out. Whether you’re launching a startup or scaling a multinational enterprise, your legal needs won’t wait. And neither should your legal support.

As part of their responsibilities, corporate counsel should also work closely with the human resources (HR) team to ensure the legality of all business operations. Tools like HR compliance software are essential for staying up-to-date with regulatory and compliance laws and managing the associated work.

What does corporate counsel do?

Attorneys or lawyers working as corporate counsel advise a single business or corporation on legal matters in and out of the courtroom. Their duties include drafting employee contracts, filing government reports, reviewing legal documents, and evaluating partnerships with vendors and partners.

Corporate counsel works very similarly to any other lawyer or attorney. But instead of working at a bigger law firm with several clients, they work for the business they represent. The day-to-day responsibilities, though, are much the same.

Their work may involve some travel if attending legal proceedings outside the office, and, like external lawyers, they’re expected to keep up with the latest regulations and compliance laws that could impact the company. Generally, corporate counsel can work on:

• Negotiating and drafting contracts: Said negotiation could be between clients, the business, vendors, or suppliers. In the real estate industry, contracts between homebuyers or tenants of a property are a significant part of the job for corporate counsel.
• Guiding legal liabilities: When businesses are looking to acquire new assets or take on risk, corporate counsel will provide an analysis outlining the risks and rewards of pursuing this.
• Researching acquisitions and mergers: Businesses that are looking to purchase and merge with another company go through several stages of research before an agreement can be made. Corporate counsel can look into all levels of the business’s history, like legal and financial status, to provide accurate details to senior leadership before a decision is made.
• Filing patents or trademarks: Companies that create unique intellectual or physical property will likely want to file trademarks to prevent competitors from taking their ideas and creating something similar. The internal legal team is responsible for putting together this information and filing the documents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• Reviewing company documents: Every business will have at least a handful of internal documents like employee handbooks, onboarding documentation, or business operations materials that need to be checked by a lawyer to ensure accuracy. For highly regulated industries, even marketing materials must be checked before they can be released to the public.
• Filing litigation of lawsuits: If a business needs to file a lawsuit, having corporate counsel can save time and money in preparing paperwork and taking the case to court.
• Answering legal questions from internal departments: Teams may have questions or concerns about legal matters at any moment. Corporate counsel can answer those questions and work closely with the department to support them in whatever way they need.

What are the key responsibilities of corporate counsel?

Here’s what your in-house corporate counsels might handle daily:

• Contracts: From employment agreements to vendor deals, your counsel will draft and review everything to avoid loopholes and ensure enforceability.
• Compliance: They track regulatory changes, adjust company policies, and make sure your operations are legally sound — no surprise fines or violations.
• Intellectual Property: They file patents and trademarks, protect trade secrets, and defend your creative assets.
• Risk Management: Whether it’s a risky acquisition or a customer lawsuit, corporate counsel assess exposures and recommend safeguards.
• Internal Guidance: Questions about NDAs? Hiring? Marketing disclaimers? Your corporate legal counsel provides legal support directly to internal departments.

Corporate counsel vs. Outside law firms vs. General counsel 

When should you use corporate counsel, outside firms, or a general counsel?

• Use corporate counsel when your company needs daily legal support, like drafting contracts, managing compliance, reviewing policies, and answering routine legal questions. They’re cost-effective for ongoing legal work and deeply familiar with your business.
• Use outside law firms when you need specialized expertise or high-stakes representation, such as litigation, class-action lawsuits, or niche regulatory issues your in-house team doesn’t handle. They’re best for one-off, complex legal matters that require specific experience.
• Hire a general counsel when your company reaches a size or complexity where you need executive-level legal leadership. A GC sets the overall legal strategy, manages the corporate legal team and external counsel, and advises the CEO and board on major risks, governance, and M&A.

What are the key business benefits of hiring corporate counsel?

Bringing corporate counsel in-house isn’t just a defensive legal move—it’s a smart strategic investment. Whether you’re navigating industry regulations, scaling internationally, or simply managing the day-to-day flow of contracts and compliance, having your own corporate legal team can pay for itself many times over.

Here are the biggest advantages:

Cost-effective legal support

Legal fees from external firms add up fast. Over the course of a single contract negotiation or compliance review, fees can balloon beyond budget.

In contrast, hiring corporate counsel as salaried employees lets companies:

• Reduce unpredictable legal spend (no hourly invoices)
• Create scalable legal capacity without paying extra for every new project
• Empower all teams (HR, marketing, operations) to get legal input without worrying about cost constraints

 Having an in-house employee or team of lawyers can reduce costs over outsourcing to an external firm. There are no hourly fees, and any employee can reach out for support without worrying about eating into a legal fees budget.

Timely legal advice

In legal matters, speed often prevents crises. With corporate counsel on staff, business leaders and department heads no longer wait days for a law firm callback or face expensive rush fees.

In-house legal teams provide:

• Real-time support during contract negotiations or compliance reviews
• Fast answers to legal questions that arise during product launches, hiring, or customer disputes
• Continuous monitoring of regulatory changes that could impact business operations

Corporate counsel plays a crucial role in managing legal risks and ensuring compliance. With the right legal management software, you can simplify case management in a timely manner and enhance legal operations.

Business-specific expertise

External lawyers may be legal experts, but they aren’t experts in your business. Corporate counsel work inside your company daily, gaining deep familiarity with:

• Your products, services, and industry dynamics
• Business goals and strategic risks
• Internal processes and stakeholder relationships

This inside knowledge allows them to:

• Spot industry-specific compliance risks early (e.g., HIPAA in healthcare, GDPR in tech, SEC filings in finance)
• Draft contracts and policies that fit your operations, not generic templates
• Help leadership make better-informed strategic decisions that account for legal realities

Proactive compliance and risk management

In regulated industries, compliance isn’t a one-time project, it’s an ongoing process. Falling behind on legal obligations can result in costly fines, lawsuits, or even shutdowns.

Corporate legal counsel help businesses stay ahead by:

• Monitoring regulatory updates across jurisdictions
• Drafting new contracts, privacy policies, and employee handbooks as soon as changes arise
• Identifying emerging risks, from cybersecurity gaps to supply chain vulnerabilities, before they escalate
• Managing routine audits and internal legal reviews

Hiring corporate counsel turns legal support from an occasional expense into a daily business asset. With faster advice, better compliance, and proactive legal strategy, your company builds a stronger foundation for growth.

Which industries get the most ROI from hiring corporate counsel?

Every industry can benefit from bringing legal counsel in-house rather than contracting out to an external law firm. For highly regulated industries, especially those where compliance laws change frequently, having a corporate counsel can be more cost effective in the long term. Some of the most common industries to use corporate counsel are:

• Food and beverage: Restaurants, bars, wineries, and even food manufacturers are all subject to regulations regarding how they operate, who they sell to, and the health and safety of their customers.
• Healthcare: As one of the most highly regulated industries, healthcare companies like private medical clinics, dental practices, and cosmetic treatment centers can all benefit from having in-house legal representation. 
• Construction: The potential for legal issues in the construction industry is high. Whether it’s planning for a new building or dealing with construction issues after the building is complete, corporate counsel can represent the construction firm for any issues that may arise.
• Real estate: Like construction, the real estate industry comes with seemingly endless legal paperwork and potential problems. Development, sales, and property management companies are some of the most common businesses in this industry to use corporate counsel.
• Manufacturing: Creating products, or the components that make products, typically needs legal support for every stage of their creation. Patents and trademarks to protect manufacturing designs and plans, agreements with vendors, and contracts on final sales are all areas that corporate counsel can help with. 
• Cannabis: Cannabis-related businesses are not yet legal in every state, but for those that are, the regulations for growers, retailers, and wholesalers are extensive. Corporate counsel can help these companies work through licensing and compliance issues as they come up.

Corporate counsel: Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Have more questions? Find the answers below. 

Q1. What does a corporate counsel do?

A corporate counsel advises a company on legal matters, drafts and reviews contracts, manages compliance with laws, handles intellectual property issues, and oversees litigation. Corporate counsel protects the company’s legal interests in business transactions and ensures operations comply with regulatory requirements.

Q2. What is the difference between corporate counsel and general counsel?

The main difference between corporate counsel and general counsel is scope of responsibility. Corporate counsel handles specific legal tasks like contracts and compliance within a company. General counsel leads the entire legal department, advises executives on legal strategy, and oversees all corporate legal matters.

Q3. Why do companies hire corporate counsel?

Companies hire corporate counsel to manage legal risks, ensure regulatory compliance, draft and negotiate contracts, protect intellectual property, and handle litigation. Corporate counsel provides proactive legal advice that prevents costly legal issues and supports business operations by aligning legal strategy with company goals.

Q4. What industries need corporate counsel most?

Industries that need corporate counsel most include technology, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and energy. These sectors face complex regulations, frequent contract negotiations, intellectual property challenges, and high litigation risks. Corporate counsel helps these industries navigate legal compliance, protect assets, and manage risk in fast-changing environments.

Q5. Can startups benefit from hiring corporate counsel?

Startups benefit from hiring corporate counsel by protecting intellectual property, drafting investor agreements, ensuring regulatory compliance, and managing employment law. Corporate counsel helps startups avoid legal pitfalls, structure their business properly, and prepare for fundraising and growth stages with a strong legal foundation.

Q6. What software helps corporate counsel work efficiently?

Corporate counsel work efficiently using software like contract management tools, legal practice management platforms, compliance management systems, and e-discovery tools. These tools streamline legal workflows, automate document management, and improve compliance tracking across corporate legal operations.

Keep your own counsel

Focus on the aspects of growing a business that matters most to you and leave the legal jargon to the experts. And with an internal team on hand, any issues can be handled before they become a problem. It’s really that simple.

Give your corporate counsel the tools they need to be successful with legal practice management software to track and store legal documentation for the whole company.

This article was originally published in 2024. It has been updated with new information.