Dentons has put together a team of more than 50 former general counsel to launch a new consultancy venture offering advice and mentoring to in-house lawyers.

The new venture, dubbed Nextlaw In-House Solutions, already has 50 former GCs – all of which are currently partners with Dentons – signed up to provide consulting services to in-house legal teams, as well as a line-up of legal tech and process management experts.

They will work with in-house teams on everything from managing external counsel relationships and legal spend, to implementing new technology, as well as offering coaching and mentoring for newly appointed GCs and advising on risk and compliance issues.

Dentons will charge in-house departments on a fixed fee or subscription fee basis.

The service – which is being led by former Dentons Canada head and GC of real estate company Ivanhoe Cambridge, Chris Pinnington – will also provide temporary in-house support.

Those already signed up as consultants include former Royal Bank of Canada GC David Allgood, former Oman Shipping Company GC Andrew Figgins and Mary Ann Hynes, the first ever female GC of a Fortune 500 company.

The consultants are available globally and they can operate across legal jurisdictions.

Commenting on the launch, Dentons global chair Joe Andrew said: "In-house counsel have clients as well, the business leaders, and while Dentons and other law firms will provide solid legal advice, the in house-counsel need more. They need someone who understands the pressures they are under, because they have been in the same situations, and can provide guidance on how to manage those pressures."

Pinnington added: "One thing we consistently hear is that our clients are under enormous pressure, not just to resolve legal issues but to deliver business solutions, play a more strategic role in the c-suite, modernise their legal departments, redefine processes and implement the latest technologies."

In addition to carrying out a series of international combinations, Dentons has branched out from its launch of tech venture Nextlaw Labs in 2015 with the launch of a global referral network last year and a public affairs network earlier this year.