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General counsel services · Head of legal · fractional, interim, part-time, permanent

General Counsel Services · fractional, interim, part-time and permanent

general counsel services come in four shapes: fractional, interim, part-time and permanent.

The general counsel is the company’s senior lawyer: contracts, disputes, regulation, governance and the management of external lawyers.

This hub sets out what the seat covers, which shape fits which situation.

Each route has its own page; every brief gets a shortlist of 3–5 with rate, availability and IR35 position set out.

Submit a brief → →

How a brief runswhat we undertake

  1. 01Brief30-MINUTE SCOPING CALLDay 0
  2. 02Shortlist of 3–5VETTED · RATE BENCHMARK · IR35After the brief
  3. 03InterviewsYOU MEET THE SHORTLISTYour diary
  4. 04Scoped startFIRST-MONTH OUTCOMES AGREEDYou set the date
  5. 05Fractional, interim and permanentIR35 POSITION SET OUTOn every brief

Shortlist3–5

15 minutes · video or phone

Book 15 minutes to hire a general counsel

Tell us the scope and the days a week. We come back with General Counsel Services candidates, their day rates and availability.

  1. 0115 minutes, video or phone
  2. 02We scope the role and the days a week
  3. 03A shortlist of 3–5 after the call
  4. 04Fractional, interim and permanent briefs
Prefer email? Use the booking page →

Pick a day that suits · live availability

01/ the role

What general counsel services cover

The general counsel is the company’s senior lawyer: contracts, disputes, regulation, governance and the management of external lawyers.

In scope: commercial contracts and negotiation; legal risk, disputes and litigation strategy; regulatory compliance and governance; company secretarial and board matters; managing external law firms and legal spend.

Specialist advice in niche areas and court representation usually come from external firms, directed by the general counsel.

What the seat does day to day is set out in the general counsel role explained; executives looking for this work can see current general counsel roles.

02/ scope

Four ways to buy the general counsel seat

Fractional General Counsel services

A fractional general counsel holds the general counsel seat on a standing weekly commitment, usually alongside a small number of other clients, and owns outcomes rather than hours.

A fractional general counsel gives a business a senior in-house lawyer on a standing weekly commitment, reviewing contracts and directing external firms.

Fractional general counsel services sets out the scope, the rates and how we shortlist.

Interim General Counsel services

An interim general counsel works full-time for a fixed term to cover a gap, lead a change or see a transaction through, then hands over.

Interim executives are hired for immediate impact: they expect to take decisions from the first week.

Interim general counsel services sets out the scope, the rates and how we shortlist.

Part-Time General Counsel services

A part-time general counsel works set days each week for one organisation.

A part-time general counsel works set days each week, suited to a business with a steady flow of legal work that does not justify a full-time head of legal.

Part-Time general counsel services sets out the scope, the rates and how we shortlist.

Permanent General Counsel

A permanent general counsel is right when legal work, regulation and board matters are a full-time load.

Our permanent general counsel search page covers the process.

Outsourced General Counsel services

Sold as outsourced legal counsel: a provider or a named individual off your payroll.

See outsourced general counsel services.

03/ the route

Fractional, interim or permanent?

Four taps. The answer names the route for the seat and the page that covers it.

How much of the week does the work fill?
Is there a fixed end or a programme?
Does the seat sit on the board for years?
Is the need now, or can it wait for a search?

The route · Fractional

A fractional general counsel services.

The work fills part of the week, so buy the days it needs.

A fractional general counsel services holds the seat on agreed days for as long as the seat is needed, and works for other clients on the rest.

The fractional general counsel services routeTalk it through

04/ comparison

Four ways to buy a general counsel fractional, interim, part-time or permanent

The same general counsel seat can be filled four ways. The difference is commitment, contract and how long you need it.

FractionalInterimPart-timePermanent
CommitmentDays a week, ongoingFull-time, fixed termSet days each weekFull-time, open-ended
Usual contractContract for services, often via the executive’s companyDay-rate contract for the mandateOften pro-rata employment; sometimes a contractorEmployment contract
Clients at onceA small portfolioOneOneOne
Best whenYou need general counsel judgement every week, not every dayYou need full-time cover or a change led nowYou want the same person on the same days for the long termThe seat is full-time work for years
ExitNotice period, or convert to permanentHand-over at the end of the mandateEmployment noticeResignation or redundancy

05/ timing

Which shape fits your situation

Match the shape to the work, not the title.

Scenario 01

Weekly judgement

Fractional

You need a general counsel to own decisions every week, but the work does not fill five days.

External legal bills rising, contracts signed without review, a regulator taking an interest, a transaction ahead, or a board needing a legal voice in the room.

Scenario 02

Now, full-time

Interim

An interim general counsel keeps contracts, disputes and board matters moving.

Scenario 03

Long term

Part-time or permanent

A part-time general counsel works set days each week, suited to a business with a steady flow of legal work that does not justify a full-time head of legal.

A permanent general counsel is right when legal work, regulation and board matters are a full-time load.

06/ vetting

How we vet the shortlist

Five stages: qualification, mandate fit, reference deep-dive, shortlist and analysis, kick-off.

  1. 01

    Qualification screen

    Verify General Counsel Services tenure, sector context and stage fit.

    SOURCING
  2. 02

    Mandate fit

    Match to your situation — stage, board dynamics, timing.

    MATCHING
  3. 03

    Reference deep-dive

    We take references ourselves, from recent past clients — real outcomes, not titles.

    VERIFY
  4. 04

    Shortlist

    Three to five candidates with day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.

    SHORTLIST OF 3–5

07/ before you brief

Before you buy general counsel services what to decide first

The decisions.

Write down the three decisions the general counsel will own in the next ninety days.

That list decides the shape: weekly decisions point to fractional, a time-bound programme to interim, a steady load to part-time.

The neighbours.

An in-house general counsel knows the business and directs the work; an external firm brings depth on a specific matter.

Most businesses need both.

The checks.

Regulates solicitors in England and Wales, including those working in-house: see the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

For a contractor engagement, agree how it will run in practice, because that decides IR35 status; HMRC’s guidance for clients sets out who makes the determination.

08/ questions

General Counsel services FAQ

The questions people ask before bringing in a general counsel.

Ways of filling the general counsel seat without, or before, a permanent hire: fractional (days a week, ongoing), interim (full-time, fixed term) and part-time (set days, one employer), alongside a permanent search. The general counsel is the company’s senior lawyer: contracts, disputes, regulation, governance and the management of external lawyers.
Fractional when you need general counsel judgement every week but not every day; interim when you need full-time cover or a change led now; part-time when the load is steady and you want the same person long term; permanent when the seat is full-time work for years.
Rates depend on scope, sector and days, and no source we can verify publishes a band for this seat. Each candidate on our shortlist states their own rate, so you compare like with like.
Specialist advice in niche areas and court representation usually come from external firms, directed by the general counsel.
You brief us on scope, shape and start date. We come back with a shortlist of 3–5, each with rate, availability and IR35 position set out, assessed through our five-stage vetting.

Book 15 minutes · shortlist of 3–5

Bring the brief. We architect the team.

A shortlist of 3–5 with day rate, availability and IR35 position set out, after five-stage vetting.

Book a call →Submit a brief

09/ related

Keep exploring

Adjacent roles and reading.

/fractional-general-counsel-servicesFractional General Counsel Services

An ongoing weekly commitment.

/interim-general-counsel-servicesInterim General Counsel Services

Full-time for a fixed term.

/part-time-general-counsel-servicesPart-Time General Counsel Services

Set days each week.

/what-does-a-general-counsel-doThe general counsel role explained

What the seat does day to day.

/vettingHow we vet

The five-stage process behind every shortlist.

Executive servicesGeneral Counsel services hubThe general counsel seat, fractionalIR35 guide

For hiring managers

Bring the brief. We bring the shortlist.

Sign up now →Book a call

  1. A shortlist of 3–5, each with day rate, availability and IR35 position
  2. Fractional, interim, part-time, temporary or permanent — and non-executive directors
  3. Every candidate through our five-stage vetting
  4. Your briefs and their candidates, in one room
Fractional Quest logo — how to brief general counsel services, general counsel services