Two lawyers who worked in General Electric's legal department to address compliance risks have started their own boutique in New York.

Patricia O'Prey and Grace Wen told the New York Law Journal on Tuesday that their new firm, called O'Prey Wen, will focus on internal investigations, litigation and compliance services.

The women-led firm started quietly earlier this month with just the two in a temporary office space in Manhattan, but O'Prey said they anticipate adding one or two associates in the next six months, and the firm could have as many as 15 lawyers two years from now.

Wen most recently practiced at Binder & Schwartz, where she worked on litigation related to the General Motors bankruptcy, and before that worked a half-year as a volunteer assistant attorney general in New York, where she said she worked on the AG's groundbreaking $174 million internet-speeds settlement with Charter. O'Prey recently worked at the power generation company ContourGlobal plc.

Before that, they practice together at Richards Kibbe & Orbe and then in-house at GE. At GE, they focused on compliance risks following GE's acquisition of electricity-industry assets from Alstom. O'Prey oversaw a team of 10 lawyers at GE that vetted and integrated the Alstom business into GE after the French company entered into a landmark Foreign Corrupt Practices Act settlement.

“Trish and I have experience with forming a successful team to conduct internal investigations, and we can use that experience to form a law firm and offer our unique skills and experience to our clients,” Wen said.

O'Prey said they initially viewed the decision to start a new firm as “high-risk,” but ultimately decided it would be a smart move, as the two had worked well together and worked similarly. They don't yet have any clients, but also have no conflicts, O'Prey said, and have been reaching out to former colleagues to pitch their services.

While the firm anticipates handling compliance-related work, O'Prey Wen only offers legal services, not consulting work. Wen said the boutique can review and update compliance policies for startups, family offices and other small professional businesses that don't have the resources to hire an in-house expert.

O'Prey added that having been in-house before, she and Wen were amenable to alternative fee arrangements. ”We're planning to be creative,” she said.