Outside Counsel for Businesses That Don't Have Time to Guess
Practical legal support for growing companies in Virginia and Connecticut. Contracts, compliance, and risk, handled by a trial-tested attorney, on retainer or by the hour.
20+ Years of Legal Experience
Former Marine Judge Advocate
Direct Attorney Access
Nobody's Looking at Your Legal Risk Until It's Already a Problem
You're signing contracts, hiring people, and making decisions with real legal exposure, and most of it never crosses a lawyer's desk until something goes wrong. A full-time general counsel doesn't make sense yet. Calling a lawyer only after the damage is done costs more than catching it early would have.
Outside Counsel That Catches Problems Before They Cost You
I work with business owners as their outside general counsel, on retainer or by the hour, so we address legal risk before it becomes a real problem. Contracts get reviewed before you sign them. Employment decisions get checked before they turn into disputes. Questions get answered before they sit on your desk for a month.
Before this practice, I spent 20+ years in the military, as a lawyer, but also in non-legal leadership roles where I was the one responsible for people and decisions, not just advising from the sidelines. That background shapes how I assess risk: practical, not theoretical, with a real understanding of what it means to run something and answer for it. Backed by trial experience, if something ever does go wrong, you get a lawyer who gives you a straight answer, not a runaround.
Work With Me However Makes Sense for Your Business
Not every business needs the same thing from outside counsel. Pick what fits, and it can change as your needs do. No hidden pricing, my hourly rate is right here.
-
As-Needed (Hourly)
For a specific question, a contract, or an issue that just came up. No commitment, pay for the time you use.
$300/hour
-
Fixed-Fee Projects
For a defined problem with a clear deliverable: a contract risk review, a legal baseline assessment, a strategy session. You know the price before we start.
-
Outside General Counsel (Retainer)
For businesses that want ongoing access without hiring in-house. A set monthly arrangement covering the recurring legal work of running the business, contracts, HR issues, compliance questions, and day-to-day decisions.
Not sure which one fits?
Start with the free intro call, and we'll figure out the right arrangement together.
How It Works
-
Step 1: Reach out
Fill out a short form and book a free 15-minute call. I'll ask enough to check for conflicts and make sure it's a fit.
-
Step 2: We figure out the right arrangement
Hourly for a one-off issue, a fixed-fee project for something defined, or an outside general counsel retainer if you want ongoing access. No pressure to commit to more than you need.
-
Step 3: We get to work
You get a straight answer, a clear scope, and a lawyer who actually understands your business, not a stack of unread legal memos.
I'm Joe Androski
Before I was outside counsel to businesses, I spent over 20 years as a Marine Corps officer and attorney, in roles that put me on both sides of a courtroom and in charge of people and outcomes, not just advice from the sidelines.
I served as both prosecutor and defense counsel, which means I've built cases and I've picked apart the other side's. That's the same instinct I bring to a contract or a risk assessment now: what actually holds up, and where's the weak point.
I led attorneys and non-attorneys as a supervisor multiple times over my career, most recently overseeing a team of six attorneys, two investigators, two analysts, and three paralegals. I know what it takes to run a team and be accountable for its output, not just contribute to one.
After military and Federal Government service, I practiced municipal law and military administrative law as a civilian attorney. I'm licensed in Virginia and Connecticut, admitted to the Eastern District of Virginia, and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist.
Now I bring that same judgment to business owners who need outside counsel they can actually rely on: someone who has prosecuted, defended, led, and been accountable, not just someone who reviews documents from a distance.
Career highlights:
-
![Seal of the Department of the Navy featuring an eagle, a ship, an anchor, and a rope border.]()
Senior Ethics Counsel, Department of the Navy, Office of the General Counsel
Advised senior Navy leadership on ethics, compliance, government contracting, and internal investigations, including False Claims Act and whistleblower matters.
-
![Official US Marine Corps emblem with eagle, globe, and anchor inside a gold rope border.]()
Senior Managing Counsel and Director roles, United States Marine Corps
Supervised ethics and compliance programs, led internal investigations and audits, and managed teams ranging up to 40 people.
-
![U.S. Marine Corps emblem with eagle, globe, and anchor, encircled by a gold rope, on a blue background with white text.]()
Principal Counsel, Ethics, Marine Corps
Drafted over 200 policy-driven legal opinions on conflicts of interest, procurement integrity, and financial disclosure.
-
![Seal of the Naval Justice School, Newport, Rhode Island, featuring a shield with scales of justice and a nautical theme, surrounded by a rope border with the text 'Naval Justice School Newport Rhode Island'.]()
Instructor, U.S. Naval War College and Naval Justice School
Description goes here -
![Official emblem of the United States Naval War College featuring a blue shield with a gold anchor and waves, surrounded by a gold wreath, with the motto 'VIRIBUS MARI VICTORIA' at the bottom.]()
Instructor, U.S. Naval War College
Taught international law and legal subjects to military officers and legal professionals.
-
![U.S. Marine in uniform standing in front of an American flag, smiling.]()
Deployed and worked in joint environments alongside every branch of the U.S. military and multiple partner nations
Including as Chief of Coalition Support at U.S. Central Command, coordinating with 51 partner nations.
