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Subscription General Counsel
Outsourced general counsel for California businesses, serving the SF Bay Area, Sacramento, and statewide. Subscription plans with unlimited attorney calls and a flat monthly fee.
Founded by Mark C. Smith, U.S. Army combat veteran.
Educated at UC Berkeley School of Law.
SF · Sacramento · Los Angeles · San Diego.
What we do
At Corcoran Smith Law, we specialize in delivering expert General Counsel services tailored to your business's unique needs. Whether managing complex litigation, navigating employment law, forming a new business entity, or implementing equity plans, we provide strategic legal solutions to help your business thrive.
By the matter
Perfect for businesses requiring project-based or one-time legal support.
By the month
Predictable monthly plans offering proactive, ongoing legal counsel to help you stay ahead of risks and challenges.
Subscription Plan
Our legal subscription plans provide the perfect balance of predictability, cost savings, and access to high-quality General Counsel services. Designed to meet your business's unique needs, these plans offer the flexibility and proactive legal support required to stay ahead of challenges.
Ask away, worry-free. Schedule unlimited calls with our expert attorneys whenever you have legal questions about contracts, negotiations, regulations, or employee matters. Get the clear answers and proactive guidance you need for peace of mind. An experienced lawyer is always just a call away.
Benefit from discounted access to a curated library of customizable legal forms and templates powered by Law Depot. Handle essential legal tasks like drafting contracts, creating NDAs, or crafting invoices at your own pace, saving time and money.
Need help reviewing a specific contract or tackling a unique legal challenge? Our discounted, à la carte legal services allow you to pay only for the specific work you require, without unnecessary subscriptions or retainers.
Templates powered by Law Depot.
Ready to stop watching the clock?
Tell us about your business. We'll scope a plan to fit it, and quote a flat monthly fee on the call.
Book a free consultationWho you'll work with
Subscription general counsel works best when your attorneys understand risk before it becomes litigation. Mark C. Smith brings Berkeley Law, big-firm litigation, federal clerkship, and combat-veteran leadership; Nicholas Jacobs brings investigative rigor and 18+ years in law enforcement and crisis counseling.
Principal Attorney & Founder
Mark leads the firm’s civil disputes practice with big-firm litigation training and courtroom-focused judgment, with 20+ years of military service standing behind every case.
Attorney, Estate Planning
Nick combines investigative rigor, calm communication, and an unwavering client focus, built on 18+ years of public service before he picked up the law.
Litigation Attorney
GW Law-trained, Harvard-educated, and trial-tested. More than 30 jury trials and deep courtroom experience to navigate the most complex legal disputes: estate, business, and wrongful death.
Common questions
Subscription-based general counsel is a flat-fee legal service. A business pays a fixed monthly cost for ongoing access to an attorney, instead of being billed by the hour. The subscription typically covers unlimited consultations, contract review up to a defined plan limit, employment and HR guidance, entity-formation questions, and a library of legal templates. Work that falls outside the plan is handled at a discounted member rate. The model fits businesses with continuous legal needs but no internal legal team, giving them fractional in-house counsel on a software-style monthly subscription.
A traditional monthly retainer is a prepaid bucket of hours. You pay a flat amount up front for a set number of attorney hours that month; anything beyond is billed at the hourly rate, and anything unused is forfeit. Our subscription is access-based: a fixed monthly fee for unlimited calls, included contract review up to your plan, and a curated legal toolkit. There's no clock to watch, no unused hours to lose, and no surprise overage. You can call as often as you need.
The core monthly fee covers unlimited attorney calls, ongoing legal questions, contract review within your plan limits, employment and HR guidance, entity-formation questions, and access to our customizable legal toolkit. Litigation, complex transactions, and matters outside the plan are handled à la carte at member rates. We scope the plan to your business at signup so the line is clear before you start.
California businesses that have ongoing legal exposure but don't need a full-time in-house lawyer: founders, small and mid-sized companies, professional services firms, and operators with employees, contracts, vendors, or a real-estate footprint. If you're catching yourself avoiding the call to your lawyer because of cost, you're the target customer.
Then subscription isn't the right fit, and we'll tell you. We still take traditional billable-hours and flat-fee project work for one-off matters. Subscription is for businesses that have a continuous need, not occasional ones.
Yes. Subscriptions are month-to-month unless you elect an annual plan. Cancel any time before the next billing cycle.
Client reviews
ThankYou! Nick Jacobs for giving a priceless gift after 22 years. You are an amazing man and attorney I would recommend you to anyone. You showed that their are still Amazing people in this world I appreciate you
Sage Goddess August 2025 · Google Attorney Nick was Great!! Five Star Excellence in his expert counsel composing my custom living trust. Nick was such a pleasure to work with during this difficult and confusing process. He advised me of all the important considerations and processes best suited for my custom individual planning. All documents meticulously organized for clients’ easy reference and understanding. Keeping me informed every step of the way; always readily responsive for call back/email to questions. I highly recommend him to all living trust clients and/or other legal matters!! Thank you so much Nick
Julie Jacobs June 2024 · Google I am very grateful to Corcoran Smith Law Corp for their outstanding support with my legal matter. From the very beginning, my lawyer took the time to truly listen to my concerns and explained everything clearly so I could understand the process. Nick was patient, compassionate, and always kept me updated, which gave me peace of mind during a very stressful time. His communication was excellent. I never felt left in the dark and always knew what was happening with my case. I felt like I had someone genuinely on my side who cared about the outcome. I highly recommend him and the entire team at Corcoran Smith Law Corp for anyone who needs legal guidance. They are professional, knowledgeable, and dedicated to their clients.
Rosheil Major August 2025 · Google Attorney Nicholas Jacobs has been amazing to us during this difficult battle involving my father’s home. He has been compassionate, attentive, and consistently took the time to explain everything clearly. During an emotionally exhausting situation, he made us feel supported, heard, and confident that our case truly mattered. We are deeply grateful for his professionalism and dedication. Thank you
Wendy Bracy January 2026 · Google Attorney Jacobs was diligent, patient, knowledgeable and detailed in assisting me. Thank you Nick for your help with my legal matters. I highly recommend Nick Jacobs to anyone seeking legal assistance.
Crocks Supreme October 2024 · Google Nick and Mark were amazing to work with! Nick is such a nice man, and he was extremely knowledgeable and professional. He was passionate about his work, honest and very kind and supportive during my journey in contesting a trust. He communicated his strategies every step of the way and the documents he wrote were a testament to his commitment in helping me. Every T was crossed and every I was dotted. We had a good outcome, but even if we hadn’t, I would have been 100% satisfied with the effort he put into our case. I highly recommend this firm based on their professionalism, knowledge, commitment, honesty, and communication.
Kimberly Brink August 2025 · Google Across our practice
Trust and estate litigation, commercial and contract disputes, business torts, and real-property litigation.
Purchase, sale, and contract review for California buyers, sellers, and owners. Prop 19 planning.
Wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, and powers of attorney for California families.
Ready to talk?
Book a free consultation. We'll walk through your situation and lay out the strongest path forward, whether that is estate planning, resolving a dispute, or a flat-fee Initial Case Assessment.
Book a free consultation