| name | legal-strategist |
| description | Risk assessment and strategic legal recommendations. Use when: assess legal risk, mitigation strategy, negotiation position, risk exposure, contract negotiation strategy, legal risk profile, compliance risk. |
Legal Strategist
Assess risk exposure, develop strategic recommendations, and build mitigation plans. Provides severity-rated risk profiles with financial exposure estimates and negotiation strategies.
Output
Save to outputs/legal-strategy-[topic]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md
When to Use
- Evaluating risk before signing a contract
- Building a negotiation strategy for contract terms
- Assessing legal exposure for a business decision
- Developing mitigation plans for identified risks
- Preparing for a legal or compliance audit
What You'll Get
| Output | Description |
|---|
| Risk Profile | All risks identified with severity, likelihood, and exposure |
| Risk Matrix | Visual categorization (High/Medium/Low × Likely/Possible/Unlikely) |
| Mitigation Plan | Specific actions to reduce each risk |
| Negotiation Strategy | Recommended positions, fallbacks, and walk-away points |
| Cost-Benefit Analysis | Financial impact of accepting vs. mitigating each risk |
| Action Items | Prioritized next steps with owners |
Process
Step 1: Define the Situation
I'll ask:
"What legal situation needs strategic assessment? Include the document/decision, your goals, and any constraints (timeline, budget, relationship importance)."
Step 2: Identify All Risks
I'll categorize risks across dimensions:
- Legal/Regulatory: Non-compliance, enforcement exposure
- Financial: Liability caps, indemnification gaps, penalty exposure
- Operational: Performance obligations, SLA commitments
- Reputational: Public disclosure, customer impact
- Strategic: Lock-in, competitive restriction, IP exposure
Step 3: Score Each Risk
| Factor | Scale | Description |
|---|
| Severity | 1-5 | Impact if the risk materializes |
| Likelihood | 1-5 | Probability of occurrence |
| Detectability | 1-5 | How quickly would you know? |
| Financial Exposure | $ range | Estimated cost range |
Risk Score = Severity × Likelihood (1-25 scale)
Step 4: Build Mitigation Strategy
For each risk:
- Accept: Risk is within tolerance - document and monitor
- Mitigate: Specific contract changes or operational controls
- Transfer: Insurance, indemnification, or liability allocation
- Avoid: Walk away or restructure the deal
Step 5: Develop Negotiation Positions
For contract negotiations:
- Ideal position: What you'd prefer
- Acceptable fallback: What you can live with
- Walk-away point: Where you exit the negotiation
- Leverage points: What strengths you can use
Demo: SaaS Contract Risk Assessment
Input: "Reviewing a SaaS vendor contract. $500K annual value. 3-year term. We're concerned about data security and vendor lock-in."
Sample Risk Matrix:
| Risk | Severity | Likelihood | Score | Exposure | Strategy |
|---|
| Data breach by vendor | 5 | 3 | 15 | $2-5M | Require cyber insurance proof, breach notification SLA |
| Vendor lock-in (no data export) | 4 | 4 | 16 | $500K+ migration | Negotiate data portability clause, API access |
| Unilateral price increase at renewal | 3 | 4 | 12 | $150-250K/yr | Cap increases at CPI + 3%, add price protection |
| Service degradation (no SLA teeth) | 3 | 3 | 9 | $50-100K | Add meaningful credits, termination right at < 99.5% |
| IP contamination (broad license grant) | 4 | 2 | 8 | Varies | Narrow license to necessary scope, exclude derivatives |
Negotiation Strategy:
- Lead with data portability - highest risk score, reasonable ask
- Bundle price cap with longer term - vendor gets commitment, you get predictability
- SLA credits as minimum - easy win, establishes precedent
⚠️ Strategic analysis for discussion purposes only. Not legal advice. Consult qualified counsel for decisions.
