Approach
How we work
Most outside counsel relationships fail the same way. The lawyer is too far from the business, the advice misses what the client is actually trying to do, and the bill leaves the client wondering whether the work moved them forward or just made the file thicker.
Bolton Group is built differently, shaped by more than two decades inside operating companies before practicing as outside counsel.
Law is a means to an end
Nothing matters if the business isn’t making money. A legal decision can be technically perfect and still be the wrong call if it constrains the company. Our job is to find the way to do what you’re trying to do, not to explain why it can’t be done.
That doesn’t mean ignoring risk. It means knowing the business well enough to tell which risks are worth taking, and structuring around them.
The job is usually not to say no
Most legal questions have a range of answers with different tradeoffs. Entrepreneurs move fast. The trick is slowing them down just enough to set boundaries without changing what they’re trying to do.
That means more conversations and fewer memos, and “yes, here’s how” rather than “no, because.” When the answer really is no, we say so. Usually it isn’t.
No two situations are the same
Experience helps, but every business has its own particulars. We take the time to understand yours, so the legal work fits the business rather than the other way around.
Engagements built for the relationship, not the matter
Hourly billing puts a cost on every call. That’s fine for one-time matters and bad for ongoing relationships, so we offer three structures:
Ongoing support. A monthly shared general counsel retainer for ordinary-course matters, so you can call when you need us. Major transactions are billed separately.
Defined projects. Many matters can be handled for a fixed fee, with scope and price agreed before work starts.
Everything else. Hourly, structured to be efficient rather than expansive.
What this looks like in practice
Every new conversation starts with one question: what is the business actually trying to do? The legal work and the engagement structure follow from the answer. Sometimes that’s a long-term retainer, sometimes a one-time matter, and sometimes an introduction to a lawyer who’s a better fit.
Ready to talk?
Most engagements start with an informal 30-minute conversation about you, what your business is working on and whether we’re a good fit. No prepared pitch, no commitment to engage.