Outside general counsel for Naperville and Chicagoland service businesses

Contracts Counsel for Creative Agencies & Professional Services

Legal counsel designed for your business structure

Creative agencies and professional services firms rely on contracts to define scope, protect revenue, and manage expectations. Yet many operate with legacy agreements, inconsistent templates, or client-driven paper that does not reflect how work is actually delivered. Over time, these gaps create margin erosion, delayed payments, and unnecessary disputes. As outsourced general counsel, we provide ongoing contract support designed for agencies and firms with growing teams, active client pipelines, and complex vendor relationships. Rather than reviewing agreements in isolation, we manage contracts as part of your broader legal and operational strategy.

The Legal Challenges We Address

Outdated or misaligned master agreements

Many agencies rely on MSAs drafted years ago or adapted from prior employers. These agreements often fail to reflect current service models, pricing structures, or risk tolerance.

Scope creep and change disputes

Unclear SOW language and inconsistent change-order processes lead to disagreements over deliverables, timelines, and fees often after work has already begun.

Slow or adversarial negotiations

Without a consistent negotiation strategy, deals stall in redlines, placing pressure on leadership to concede unfavorable terms just to close.

Our Approach as Outside General Counsel

We draft, review, and negotiate client-facing and vendor contracts on an ongoing basis. This includes MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, licensing provisions, and amendments aligned with your commercial goals. We advise leadership on negotiation posture before contracts are exchanged, helping teams understand where flexibility exists and where protection matters most. We standardize contract systems so internal teams work from consistent, legally reviewed templates rather than reinventing terms deal by deal.

How Agencies Use Our Retainer Services

Ongoing drafting and negotiation of MSAs and SOWs
Review of inbound client contracts and procurement terms
Contract updates tied to service changes, pricing shifts, or risk exposure

Clients often pair this work with our Employment & Workforce Compliance and Intellectual Property & Content Protection services to ensure contracts align with internal policies and ownership structures.

Illinois-Specific Compliance

We advise on Illinois contract enforceability standards, choice-of-law provisions, limitation of liability clauses, and indemnification rules relevant to service businesses operating in Naperville and the Chicago suburbs.

Discuss your contract structure, negotiation challenges, and current exposure.