Swift Counsel

Why SwiftCounsel?

Talent

Attorneys are judged by the quality of their work product. In the past, lawyers have been reluctant to outsource anything but the most menial tasks. With SwiftCounsel, however, you can be certain that you will receive superior work product – even on your most complex projects. Our attorneys have been educated at nationally prominent schools and have a minimum of five years of experience at top-flight firms, legal services organizations and judicial clerkships. By tapping the benefit of our freelance attorneys' training and experience, SwiftCounsel allows you to provide premium legal services to your clients.

Flexibility

We understand the cyclical nature of the legal industry. You may spend weeks wondering whether you have enough work to keep busy before a new client comes on board, a deadline suddenly drops or a seemingly simple case reveals its complexities. When your office is flush with work, you can turn to us to ramp up quickly and check items off your "to-do" list. SwiftCounsel's contract attorneys allow you to focus on the strengths of your own practice while giving you more time to review and perfect the end product for your client.

Profit

SwiftCounsel offers a virtual office filled with experienced freelance attorneys ready to be put to work — but only when you need us. You can reduce your payroll, secure in the knowledge that if workflow unexpectedly surges, we can step in immediately. Additionally, under most circumstances, attorneys can add a premium to the cost of our legal services, provided that the total fee to the end client is reasonable. In-house legal departments can reduce their dependence on outside counsel — and their legal expenses — by delegating work to our contract attorneys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is SwiftCounsel?

SwiftCounsel functions as a marketplace to connect highly skilled freelance lawyers with overburdened attorneys and understaffed law firms and in-house legal departments. We are neither a law firm nor a temporary staffing agency. Instead, SwiftCounsel's contract attorneys are reshaping the practice of law by offering complex legal services on a project basis.

What services do you offer?

SwiftCounsel's freelance attorneys provide premium legal services on demand for other attorneys. Our contract lawyers are ready to assist with just about any legal project that can be delegated. The only limitation on our work is that, as freelancers, our lawyers cannot offer services that would constitute direct representation of an end client. Instead, we work under the supervision of a hiring attorney. Take a look at some representative examples of the services we offer.

Who are your attorneys?

Our freelance attorneys carry impressive credentials, with degrees from top ranked universities and law schools, clerkships with preeminent judges, and at least five years of professional experience. SwiftCounsel offers attorneys the flexibility to pursue their extracurricular passions – whether traveling around the world or simply devoting more time to their family – without forsaking the professional training that made them top notch lawyers.

Where do your attorneys work?

For the most part, our contract attorneys work remotely through a secure and confidential project management and collaboration platform. By utilizing this technology, clients can supplement their workforce and take on larger and more complex matters without increasing their overhead. Also, as freelancers, our lawyers can work under the supervision of hiring attorneys in any jurisdiction to which the hiring attorney is admitted to practice. Therefore, even though most of our freelance attorneys live in California, they can work for most anyone from just about anywhere. SwiftCounsel thus allows clients to engage the best legal talent without regard to geographic or jurisdictional constraints.

What types of clients work with SwiftCounsel attorneys?

SwiftCounsel supports overworked solo practitioners and supplements understaffed law firms and in-house legal departments. SwiftCounsel is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation directly to end clients. Instead, our freelance attorneys work on a contract basis for other attorneys.

How does SwiftCounsel work?

This site functions as a marketplace to connect clients (the hiring attorneys) with freelance attorneys. SwiftCounsel attorneys work on a project basis. Clients can engage a freelancer either by contacting SwiftCounsel to discuss their needs or by posting a project on the site. SwiftCounsel attorneys will be notified of posted projects immediately. Those who are interested and available will respond, allowing clients to select the SwiftCounsel attorney or team best suited to their project.

How long will it take for my project to be completed?

Clients dictate their deadlines when contacting SwiftCounsel. Our contract attorneys will not accept an engagement if they are not available to complete the project within the requested time. But with a pool of freelance legal talent to choose from, your project can begin almost immediately.

How much do you charge for your services?

We typically bill by the hour and invoice twice monthly or upon completion of the project. We are open, however, to discussing alternative billing structures, including a flat rate per project and a monthly subscription model. The standard billing rate is $100/hour, although each SwiftCounsel attorney sets his or her own rate. You will discuss the best pricing structure and rates with our attorneys before hiring them.

How will you protect the confidentiality of client information?

SwiftCounsel is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of the information you provide to us. Prior to starting any engagement, SwiftCounsel attorneys agree to preserve the confidentiality of all protected client information. Project documents and attorney work product are stored on our project management system, which is password protected and includes industry standard SSL security.

How does SwiftCounsel manage conflicts of interest?

SwiftCounsel LLC and all SwiftCounsel freelance attorneys maintain current client and matter lists and conduct conflict checks before accepting an engagement.