Legal Hero, an online portal designed to connect small businesses and entrepreneurs with legal help, has introduced a new service that will provide “on-demand” legal counsel for these companies.
While the site previously served small businesses seeking legal assistance for one-shot deals, this enhancement matches companies with vetted, experienced lawyers, the company said in a statement touting the launch.
This service effectively allows small companies to “outsource” their legal department at a lower price compared to hiring attorneys on an as-needed basis. This enables small business owners to do what they do best, literally: focus on their revenue-generating core competencies.
Legal Hero’s new feature, described as “General Counsel” services, provides small businesses and entrepreneurs with access to regular guidance and trusted legal advice, the company says. Legal Hero’s website reveals prices for 30 common projects.
Annie Webber, co-founder and CEO of Legal Hero, said in a statement:
“As we worked with clients to connect them with the right lawyer for their legal projects, we realized there was a real need in the small business community for a general counsel platform that could help in a more on-demand capacity.
“Adding the Legal Hero GC service was a perfect fit for us as we’re constantly looking to find new ways to help small businesses and entrepreneurs get the legal support they need without the excessive costs and contracts associated with traditional law firms.”
While having in-house lawyers or legal firms on retainer is common among larger corporations, this is not the case with small businesses. These companies typically can’t afford to pay for the best expert legal advice they are bound to need occasionally.
Legal Hero now seeks to tackle this by matching companies with a vetted lawyer. The service also includes guaranteed pricing for an array of services available. These include employment law issues, corporate legal questions, as well as contract and other document reviews.
Daniel Heller, CEO of The Welcoming Committee, a Legal Hero client, said in a statement:
“As an entrepreneur, I have a lot on my plate. With my Legal Hero GC, legal matters are no longer stressful and a lot of my time is freed up to focus on what matters most – growing my business. Whether it’s providing advice on employment issues or helping me decipher a contract, I can always rely on my lawyer’s advice and their ability to make the project as seamless and efficient as possible.”
The service is available in three packages. It is expressly designed for entrepreneurs and startups in need of legal advice to keep their companies on a growth track, as well as for growing companies requiring regular guidance.
Legal Hero leverages its online matching technology and its own online attorney network attorney network to match companies with attorneys meeting their business needs, the company says.
Launched in November 2014, Legal Hero offers services in New York, Massachusetts and Florida, a recent Miami Herald report noted. Around sixty attorneys are in Legal Hero’s network.
Once on the site, the user chooses a project, including the price for the service, and receives a selection of vetted lawyers from which to choose. Legal Hero manages a bidding process for other services as needed.
Image: LegalHero
Love the idea. Law school have been cranking out new lawyers for years, so they are out there. A platform like this to connect them with SMBs (a notoriously hard to reach crowd) definitely has potential.