Frequently Asked Questions

My base rate is $325 an hour, measured in 1/10th of an hour (6 minute increments).

I have broad experience in business law, particularly in corporate matters and commercial law.  Corporate legal matters generally refer to issues that come up during the formation of a business, its financing and fundraising efforts, its continuing governance and also its internal day-to-day operations (like employment matters and policy development).  Commercial law pertains to business relationships between parties, like customer and vendor contracts, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, creditor-debtor relationships.  These two areas often blend together, with companies typically leaning more toward either in-house support or external private practice lawyers, depending on the complexity and scope of the issues.  Having sat in both the seat of a general counsel, and also as an external resource, I can help clients navigate their legal options quickly and cost-effectively.

A very fair question. The benefit of having been a general counsel for a private equity-owned energy services company, I have developed great relationships with law firm lawyers with various levels of specialization, at different price points. Being monogamous with just a single law firm, you may love the service from your go-to lawyer, but you might have a very different customer service experience with their colleagues down the hall. Sometimes they are just as great, and other times, you might not be treated as a top priority. It’s all about “fit” and choosing a counsel who not only understands your business, but also understands your business style. Let me help you access my broader network of subject-matter experts, and where it makes sense for us to use those lawyers as co-counsel, let’s figure out the best way to get the job done without racking up big law firm bills. Keep in mind, as well, that tax and accounting issues go hand-in-hand with corporate and commercial law.  Where we can work with nimble, cost-effective transaction law experts, let’s tap those resources too.

Hiring a full-time lawyer is a pretty significant commitment for a company’s bottom line. In terms of total compensation (salary, benefits, other considerations), junior in-house lawyers range are paid on average $130k in the Alberta market, and senior counsel are paid $180k+ and up. A growing company certainly can benefit from developing a long-lasting relationship with a dedicated in-house resource. However, there are times when this is unfeasible for a multitude of reasons. For example, a company could be experiencing a busy push where a full-time employee makes sense now, but is there enough work for them after the push is over. Does it make sense to keep a full-time lawyer around if their work flow slows to a trickle. If the company is going through a restructuring, does the company have enough confidence that it will have a budget to support a full-time lawyer long-term? What if after a period of time, you discover there isn’t a satisfactory fit of personalities, business perspectives (management of risk and risk tolerances, the willingness to take more aggressive positions with counterparties) or mismatched career goals.  The benefit of Gusto Law is that a company can experiment with increasing their usage of legal resources, at a fraction of what it would cost to farm the work at a larger firm.