The employment-based permanent residence petition is an employer-driven process so even if you get an attorney, the attorney still has to work with the employer to get the process started.  It is not possible to do it without the employer's cooperation and participation.  Under the laws, the employer is responsible for all fees and costs associated with the initial PERM stage of the employment-based process so you would not be able to just pay an attorney and get the process expedited.  However, if you approach the employer and explain your reasons for wanting to get the process started sooner, they might be amenable to that if they are not against the petition process in and of itself.