Most businesses don’t know what they don’t know about their legal situation.
They have contracts that seemed fine when signed. They have employment practices developed over time. They have compliance obligations they think they’re meeting. They have intellectual property they believe they own.
But without systematic review, gaps and risks accumulate invisibly—until something forces visibility at the worst possible time.
A comprehensive legal audit provides that visibility proactively, revealing both risks to address and opportunities to strengthen your legal foundation.
WHAT A LEGAL AUDIT ACTUALLY IS
A legal audit is a systematic review of your company’s legal situation across all major areas: corporate structure and governance, contracts and commercial relationships, employment and HR, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, and litigation and dispute exposure.
The goal isn’t to find problems for the sake of finding problems. It’s to give you clear visibility into your legal landscape: what’s working, what’s at risk, and what deserves attention.
Think of it like a comprehensive physical exam for your business. You learn your baseline. You identify issues that need treatment. You understand what preventive measures to implement.
THE LEGAL 360 APPROACH
Our Legal 360 service provides a comprehensive 60-day legal review structured to give you actionable insight.
How it works:
Information gathering: We review your existing documents—corporate records, key contracts, employment files, IP registrations, compliance documentation—to understand your current state.
Interviews and context: We talk with you and key team members to understand how things work in practice, not just how they’re documented.
Gap analysis: We identify where your actual practices and documentation fall short of best practices and legal requirements.
Risk assessment: We prioritize issues based on likelihood and impact, helping you understand where to focus attention.
Recommendations: We provide specific, actionable recommendations for addressing identified issues.
WHAT WE TYPICALLY FIND
Every business is different, but certain patterns recur:
Corporate governance gaps: Missing minutes, resolutions that should have been documented but weren’t, unclear ownership records, and authorization gaps.
Contract issues: Agreements that can’t be located, inconsistent terms across similar relationships, problematic provisions that weren’t caught at signing, and expired agreements still governing active relationships.
Employment vulnerabilities: Classification issues, documentation gaps, outdated policies, unenforceable or missing restrictive covenants, and inconsistent practices that create discrimination risk.
IP exposure: Incomplete chain of title documentation, unregistered protectable assets, potential infringement issues, and inadequate protection of trade secrets.
Compliance gaps: Requirements that apply but aren’t being met, practices that were compliant when implemented but no longer are, and documentation that doesn’t support claimed compliance.
Some of these issues are urgent. Most are important but not immediately critical. All benefit from systematic attention.
THE DELIVERABLES YOU RECEIVE
The Legal 360 process produces several concrete outputs:
Comprehensive assessment report: A detailed analysis of your legal situation across all major areas, including specific findings, risk ratings, and prioritized recommendations.
Customized legal dashboard: An executive summary of critical findings, action items, and strategic recommendations—designed for leadership review and decision-making.
Tailored legal tools: Up to three customized legal form agreements to address your highest priority needs—whether that’s employment agreements, vendor contracts, customer terms, or other frequently-used documents.
Training and education: Live and recorded training sessions for your team on legal and compliance topics relevant to your business.
Throughout the process, you have unlimited consultation access—the ability to ask questions and get guidance as we work through the audit together.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE AUDIT
The audit isn’t an endpoint—it’s a beginning. The real value comes from acting on what we learn.
For clients who continue with an OGC relationship, we help implement audit recommendations over time: updating documents, establishing new practices, training managers, and maintaining the legal infrastructure that the audit establishes.
For clients who don’t continue with OGC, the audit still provides a roadmap. You know what needs attention and can address issues with whatever legal resources make sense for your situation.
IS A LEGAL AUDIT RIGHT FOR YOU?
A comprehensive legal audit is particularly valuable if:
You’ve never had one: Most businesses accumulate years of legal decisions, documents, and practices without systematic review. An audit provides baseline visibility.
Your business has grown significantly: Growth creates new legal requirements and exposes gaps in what worked at a smaller scale.
You’re contemplating a major transaction: Whether acquisition, financing, or sale, a legal audit helps you prepare for the diligence that’s coming.
You’re bringing in new leadership: New CEOs and executives benefit from understanding the legal landscape they’re inheriting.
You have a nagging concern: If something feels off about your legal situation—even if you can’t pinpoint what—an audit provides clarity.
GET YOUR LAW IN ORDER
The Legal 360 process is designed to be comprehensive without being overwhelming—a 60-day engagement that provides lasting value.
Take control of your legal landscape.
Discover more from Outside General Counsel
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.