We encourage clients to consider creative approaches to the delivery of legal services, such as retainer agreements and engaging Ice Miller’s Workplace Solutions Group in a role similar to in-house counsel.
Employers constantly navigate a wide variety of employment-related legal issues. To help employers address these issues, our Labor and Employment attorneys often serve as outside employment counsel for employers of all sizes. When serving in such a capacity for our clients, we often work as an extension of our clients’ in-house counsel and HR teams, as well as work with employers without an in-house counsel or HR team.
Employers constantly navigate a wide variety of employment-related legal issues. To help employers address these issues, our labor and employment attorneys often serve as outside employment counsel for employers of all sizes. When serving in such a capacity for our clients, we often work as an extension of our clients’ in-house counsel and HR teams, as well as work with employers without an in-house counsel or HR team.
We also provide clients an opportunity to establish an alternative billing arrangement with us. This is different than the traditional hourly rate model. A retainer arrangement has several advantages, including:
- The ability for our clients to budget for these legal services.
- The opportunity for our clients to obtain legal guidance on employee issues without being concerned about being charged an hourly rate.
- Mitigate organizational risk by encouraging HR professionals and others with HR management responsibilities to seek and receive legal guidance before decisions are made.
- Effective training of HR professionals and others with HR management responsibilities to recognize and handle employment-related legal issues.
Each client's retainer arrangement is different and is tailored to the client's needs and desires. Retainer arrangements can include a variety of services, such as:
- Day-to-day consultation and advice;
- Advising on employee performance and corrective action issues, including terminations;
- Leave management;
- Compliance with laws and regulations;
- Reviewing and revising employment policies;
- Reviewing and revising templates, employee letters and other documents;
- Reviewing and updating offer letters, employment contracts, non-competes, confidentiality agreements and other employment documents;
- Guidance on social media and other trending issues; and
- Consultation on strategic HR initiatives and much more.
Our labor and employment attorneys are focused on helping our clients create better workplaces. We work closely with each client to understand its needs so that we can mutually determine the scope of the outside employment counsel retainer arrangement.
Contact the Ice Miller attorney with whom you regularly work or one of our Outside Employment Counsel Leaders (
Michael Blickman,
Bill Barath or
Ryan Poor) to learn how our team can help serve your organization by creating an outside employment counsel retainer arrangement.