Fractional General Counsel

What is a fractional General Counsel?

A fractional General Counsel is an experienced lawyer who works with an organization on an ongoing basis without joining as a full-time employee. You get many of the benefits of having a General Counsel who knows your organization, people, priorities, and risk tolerance, with a level of support that fits your actual needs.

How is a fractional GC different from outside counsel?

The line isn’t absolute, but the relationship is different. Outside counsel is often brought in to answer a particular legal question or handle a specific matter. A fractional GC works across the organization and over time. That context matters. Instead of starting from scratch every time something comes up, I can help identify issues earlier, connect decisions across different parts of the organization, and determine when specialized outside counsel is actually necessary.

When does an organization need a fractional GC?

Sometimes it’s before an organization needs a full-time General Counsel, but that’s only one use case. You may benefit from fractional support when legal questions are becoming more frequent or interconnected, executives or employees are spending too much time coordinating legal work, outside counsel costs are increasing, or the organization is entering a period of growth, regulatory complexity, organizational change, or increased risk.

Fractional support can also help an existing legal team: bridging a gap while a General Counsel or other senior lawyer is being hired or on leave, supplementing the team during a particularly busy period or major transaction, or helping a new General Counsel get oriented, establish priorities, and build the systems and processes the legal function needs.

There isn’t a magic company size, financing stage, or legal-team structure. The question is whether experienced, embedded legal support would make the organization more effective.

Do you replace our existing law firms?

Sometimes, but usually not. A fractional General Counsel becomes part of your team and works alongside outside counsel, helping determine what can be handled internally, when specialized expertise is needed, and which lawyers are right for the work. I can work with your existing firms or help identify additional counsel when needed, manage those relationships, and provide the organizational context that helps outside counsel do their best work.

Do you only work with companies?

No. I work with growing companies, nonprofits, and other mission-driven organizations. Different organizations have different structures, stakeholders, resources, and definitions of success. The legal work should reflect that.

Do you work on individual projects, or only as an ongoing fractional GC?

Both. Some relationships begin with a particular project or immediate need and evolve into ongoing support. Others stay project-based. We can start with what you actually need rather than forcing the relationship into a predetermined package.

How does pricing work?

Tend offers hourly and subscription-based arrangements. Hourly billing can make sense for discrete or occasional needs. For organizations that want ongoing access to legal support, monthly subscriptions provide a set amount of time to make legal spend more predictable. We’ll agree on the scope and structure before the work begins, and we can adjust it as your needs change.

What if I don’t know whether something is a legal issue?

That’s normal. You don’t need to diagnose the problem before calling your lawyer. Part of my job is helping determine what actually requires legal attention, what belongs with another advisor or member of your team, and what may not require much intervention at all.