1. Single Family Offices > $1 Billion of AUM

2. Startups with Strong Venture Backing

3. VC Funds & PE Funds

4. Tier 1 & 2 Growth Businesses

Tier 1

> $1M EBITDA / $3M - $10M Revenue

Tier 2

> $5M EBITDA / $16M - $50M Revenue

Emerging venture fund and buyout managers, as well as incubators, can enhance their portfolio companies’ operational excellence, capital-raising success, and precise liquidity events by offering Sabal Law’s Outsourced General Counsel Program (“OGC Program”) as a value-added service. This subscription-based legal service, priced at a 15% discount off the firm’s standard billable rate for 10 hours per month, equips portfolio companies with strategic legal support tailored to the evolving demands of the private equity and small business landscape. Backed by the firm’s principal attorney’s experience at the Securities and Exchange Commission, two international law firms, and as general counsel to a multibillion-dollar family office, Sabal Law delivers sophisticated legal counsel with the personalized attention of a boutique practice.

The private equity industry and small business ecosystem face significant challenges as traditional financial engineering yields diminishing returns amid higher interest rates, intensified competition, and extended holding periods. Small businesses, which have created 80% of net new jobs since 2011, are vital to the economy but often lack the resources to thrive independently. According to the SEC’s Director of the Small Business Advocacy Office, small businesses supported by incubators and well-run funds raise more capital and generate higher revenue, yet 77% struggle to access the capital they need. To drive value and overcome these hurdles, funds and incubators must foster systematic leadership and operational strategies that prioritize excellence and sustainable growth. Key market trends underscore this need:

• Complex Deal Structures: In 2022, 70% of PE deals were “platform” or “roll-up” acquisitions, combining smaller companies often lacking robust management or operational infrastructure. These deals demand exceptional leadership and legal expertise to navigate integration challenges effectively.

• Extended Holding Periods: PE firms now hold investments for an average of seven years (up from five), requiring sustained operational excellence to maximize returns.

• Leadership Gap: Historically, PE firms undervalued leadership development, focusing on aggressive financial targets. Today, 75% of value creation stems from margin improvement and multiple expansion, compared to just 25% from financial engineering (down from 70% pre-2000). PE executives cite leadership effectiveness as the top value-creation lever.

• Misaligned Leadership Priorities: PE dealmakers often prioritize charismatic, change-driven leaders, while portfolio company executives emphasize collaboration and relationship-building, leading to costly misaligned hires.

• Weak Operational Infrastructure: Roll-ups and carve-outs frequently lack sophisticated management and legal systems, complicating integration, cost management, and compliance efforts.

Sabal Law’s OGC Program serves as a force multiplier for portfolio companies, delivering strategic legal counsel that aligns with the goals of funds and incubators while mitigating risks that concern limited partners (“LPs”) and stakeholders. By embedding legal expertise into portfolio companies’ operations, the program enhances governance, streamlines compliance, and supports leadership teams in executing complex strategies. Leveraging the firm’s principal attorney’s extensive experience with regulatory compliance at the SEC, complex transactions at two international law firms, and strategic oversight as general counsel to a multibillion-dollar family office, Sabal Law empowers portfolio companies to achieve the capital-raising and revenue-generating success highlighted by the SEC. Key benefits include:

• Aligning Leadership and Governance: The OGC Program proactively addresses conflicts arising from misaligned leadership hires or governance gaps that could undermine LP or investor confidence. Sabal Law implements robust contracts, transparent equity arrangements, and tailored compliance frameworks to safeguard stakeholder interests and maintain trust.

• Managing In-House Service Conflicts: As GPs and fund managers increasingly provide in-house services—such as administration, accounting, asset management, or legal support—and charge these costs to their funds, conflicts of interest can arise, drawing scrutiny from LPs and regulators. The OGC Program delivers cost-effective, high-quality oversight, ensuring these services meet industry standards while resolving conflicts through clear policies and independent review.

• Operational Excellence: The firm provides portfolio companies with real-time legal guidance on mergers, integrations, and regulatory compliance, enabling seamless execution of roll-up strategies and operational improvements. (Note: Sabal Law does not provide anti-trust advice.)

• Liquidity Event Precision: From due diligence to exit planning, Sabal Law’s legal expertise ensures portfolio companies are transaction-ready, maximizing value and minimizing delays during sales, IPOs, or recapitalizations.

• Predictable, Budget-Friendly Costs: The OGC Program offers predictable legal costs through a subscription model, priced to align with the lean budgets of FinTech startups and roll-up platform portfolio companies. This cost certainty allows emerging companies to access high-caliber legal support without the unpredictability of traditional high-cost hourly billing.

• Confidence in Legal Support: The OGC Program eliminates hesitation among cost-conscious executives by providing transparent pricing and consistent, high-quality legal advice. Portfolio company leaders can engage Sabal Law’s counsel—rooted in the firm’s principal attorney’s SEC, international law firm, and family office experience—without fear of unpredictable fees or uncertainty about the reliability of guidance, empowering confident decision-making.

• Enhanced Capital and Revenue Growth: By partnering with Sabal Law’s OGC Program, funds and incubators are better positioned to mentor and support small businesses, enabling them to raise more capital and generate higher revenue, as emphasized by the SEC. The firm’s legal expertise strengthens governance, investor readiness, and compliance, making portfolio companies more attractive to investors and driving financial success.

• Support for FinTech and Digital Asset Startups: Sabal Law supports incubators and funds by guiding FinTech and digital asset startups through complex early-stage regulatory hurdles, such as securities and anti-money laundering compliance, ensuring a strong foundation for growth.

• Cost Efficiency: The subscription model provides discounted, high-value legal support, enabling portfolio companies to allocate resources effectively while maintaining operational agility.

By offering the OGC Program, funds and incubators demonstrate a commitment to portfolio success, positioning themselves as trusted partners providing high-value resources, as endorsed by the SEC’s focus on entrepreneurial support. This attitudinal shift fosters stronger relationships with portfolio company executives, enhancing collaboration and driving sustainable value creation.

Partner  with Sabal Law to explore how the OGC Program can empower your portfolio companies with proven, cost-effective legal support. Tap here to learn more about pricing for this program.

See Ted Bililies, Private Equity Needs a New Talent Strategy, Harv. Bus. Rev., Nov.–Dec. 2023, https://hbr.org/2023/11/private-equity-needs-a-new-talent-strategy.

See Stacey Bowers, Gearing Up to Improve Small Business Capital Formation (speech delivered at the SEC’s 44th Annual Small Business Forum, Apr. 10, 2025), https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/bowers-small-business-forum-041025.