Corporate & M&A Counsel ยท Nationwide
Protect what you’re building, without the overlawyering.
Flat-fee legal counsel for founders and growing companies. Big-firm depth, plain-spoken advice, and the judgment to fix what matters and leave the rest alone.
What I handle
The legal work behind a business that runs well.
Outside General Counsel
A day-to-day legal partner on a flat monthly fee. The in-house lawyer your business isn't ready to hire.
Explore →Commercial Contracts
Agreements your customers, vendors, and partners can actually read. Drafted, reviewed, and negotiated.
Explore →Business Formation & Governance
Entities, operating agreements, and the governance documents that keep ownership clean as you grow.
Explore →Strategic Business Planning
Legal footing for what's ahead: new lines, partners, financing, and the structure underneath them.
Explore →Mergers & Acquisitions
Buying, selling, or restructuring in the lower-middle market, with big-firm depth and none of the drag.
Explore →How I bill
Flat fees. No hourly billing. No surprises.
You’ll know the price before the work starts. We agree on the scope and a flat fee up front, so the number doesn’t move and no meter runs while you think out loud.
An initial conversation, on the house
We talk through what you need before anyone signs anything. If I’m not the right fit, I’ll tell you.
One flat price per matter
Scoped to the work in front of us and quoted up front. You can budget for it without a calculator.
Ongoing counsel by subscription
Need a lawyer on call? Fractional general counsel runs on a predictable monthly fee, not an hourly one.
Vanessa L. Bailey
Founder & Managing Member
Who you’ll work with
A lawyer who has run a business too.
I spent twelve years in corporate and M&A work, including big-firm training and a partner nomination, before leaving to build a firm on my own terms. I’ve also started and run businesses of my own, so I read a contract the way you do: what does this cost me, what does it protect, and does it slow the deal down for no reason.
That’s the whole idea here. Find the risks that genuinely matter, handle them cleanly, and keep the rest out of your way.
Get in touch
Tell me what you’re working on.
A contract on your desk, a company to form, a deal in motion. The initial conversation is straightforward and on the house.
Get in Touch