You know what you agreed to do, but does your client? You just shook hands with your new client, and now you are ready to jump into the new engagement. Or at least you think you are ready. If you don’t have a rock-solid consulting agreement that spells out the deliverables and sets forth the ground rules for the engagement, you are setting up the client and yourself for disappointment (or worse). At our Friday, September 8 IMC Orange County Breakfast Meeting, learn what every consultant must know about drafting and negotiating that special form of contract known as a Consulting Agreement. Michael S. Oswald, law professor and co-founder of The General Counsel, LLC, will teach you what you need to know about:

• Drafting a standard consulting agreement that covers the bases. Using your standard agreement as part of your sales process. Protecting your ideas during the pre-engagement phase. Negotiating the scope of the engagement. Tailoring your standard agreement into a success roadmap so that you actually get paid, while minimizing the risk of lawsuit.
• Making sure the agreement keeps up with the inevitable changes in scope during the engagement.

Don't miss this all important breakfast meeting on September 8, which will be very informative as well as a great networking experience with your fellow consultants in the greater Orange County area. Expect a lively discussion with lots of practical examples.

About Michael Oswald, Principal of The General Counsel

Michael Oswald is co-founder and principal of The General Counsel, a firm that provides experienced in-house lawyers to work on-site at businesses in a variety of industries. Michael has over 20 years of in-house corporate legal and management experience in aerospace, consulting, and technology companies. He has counseled on a wide variety of general business, government contracts, commercial contracts, employment matters, litigation, mergers and acquisitions and corporate compliance and governance. He is also the Associate Director of the Business Law Center at Western State U. College of Law in Fullerton, where he has taught Contracts Drafting, Securities Regulation and Uniform Commercial Code.

Time & Location

This meeting will be held in the Mezzanine Restaurant, 19800 MacArthur Blvd., Irvine, CA 92612 (in basement of 19800 building, left tower). This classy restaurant is easy to get to from the 405 or 73 freeways, or from Jamboree or MacArthur. The driveway entrance is from Fairchild Road, not MacArthur. When coming from the 73, exit on Jamboree. Park in the structure. Parking will be validated.

This one of our monthly Orange County IMC Breakfast meetings -- a great low-cost learning and networking opportunity for your consulting business. These meetings are now held near OC Airport on the second Friday of every month.

• Place: Mezzanine Restaurant, 19800 MacArthur Blvd., Irvine, CA 92612
• Date: Friday, September 8, 2006 Time: 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
• Cost: $10 for IMC members, $20 for non-members, exact change appreciated. This includes any choice from the IMC hot breakfast menu, tax and tip included. Park in the structure. Parking will be validated.
• RSVP: Via email to Don McNamara