In-house legal counsel
In-house legal counsel is a lawyer employed by a business or organization to advise it directly, rather than practising at an outside law firm. In-house counsel review contracts, manage compliance and risk, supervise outside lawyers and coordinate litigation. Their client is the organization, not its individual directors, officers or employees.
How BC law treats it
In-house counsel practising in BC must be licensed by the Law Society of British Columbia and follow the Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia. Their legal advice is protected by solicitor-client privilege (Pritchard v Ontario (Human Rights Commission), 2004 SCC 31).
What it means for your business
A growing BC business may hire in-house counsel to handle routine legal work and manage outside counsel more efficiently.
Risks and common mistakes
Directors and employees sometimes assume in-house counsel represents them personally; it does not, and they may need their own advice.
For the full explanation, see our entry on In-house counsel.
General information about British Columbia and Canadian law, current to October 2026. It is not legal advice.
