Fractional General Counsel
Your own legal counsel, without the hire.
We bring every contract, decision and risk into one clear legal strategy. Our multidisciplinary team provides ongoing oversight, commercial judgement and ownership with the strength of an in-house legal department, without the cost of building one.
Legal Risk. Managed.
What it is
You are not buying hours.You are gaining an accountable legal function.
Your team is probably already handling parts of the legal function themselves, reviewing routine terms, adapting templates, managing compliance steps and using the tools available to them. We do not replace that capability. We strengthen it and bring it all together.
As your fractional general counsel, our multidisciplinary team:
Connects the legal work already happening across your business.
Applies senior judgement, specialist expertise and real-world experience.
Uses purpose-built legal technology to improve speed, consistency and oversight.
Identifies gaps and manages risk across contracts, compliance, people and key decisions.
Takes ongoing ownership of the legal function and remains accountable from issue to outcome.
You gain a coordinated, outcomes-focused legal function, not another provider selling hours.
Who it's for
Built for businesses that have outgrown ad hoc advice.
Owner-managed and founder-led businesses that need senior judgement but cannot justify a full-time legal hire.
Scale-ups carrying more contract, employment and compliance risk than a traditional law firm relationship can keep up with.
PE-backed and portfolio companies preparing for growth, acquisition or exit.
Groups and management teams that want legal leadership at the boardroom table without adding headcount.
A signature differentiator
One agreed contracting playbook, built around your business and applied across every agreement.
We design a designated contracting playbook around the specifics of how you sell, buy, hire and partner, your risk appetite, your sector, your counterparties. The same standards then run through every contract you sign, so the business contracts one consistent way rather than deal by deal. The playbook is held and applied virtually, under continuous senior oversight, so every agreement is governed to one standard without slowing the business down.
What we hold
One counsel. The whole legal function.
Commercial & Contracts
Contracting standards, negotiation, supplier and customer agreements, template architecture.
M&A and Transactions
Deal readiness, structuring, due diligence and execution from owner-managed exits to mid-market deals.
Employment & Labour
Contracts and policies, BCEA and LRA compliance, restructures, discipline and CCMA representation.
Data Protection & POPIA
Compliance programmes, processing registers, staff training and Information Officer support.
Corporate Governance
Board and shareholder matters, Companies Act compliance, company secretarial oversight.
Regulatory Compliance
Sector-specific mapping, FICA, consumer protection and B-BBEE alignment.
01
A standing relationship
We hold your legal function month to month, not matter to matter. Your counsel is briefed on your business before you ever pick up the phone.
02
A named senior attorney
From day one you work with a director. No associates learning on your time, no call centres, no hand-offs. The person who knows your business is the person who advises it.
03
Ahead of the issue
We govern risk before it surfaces, the contract before you sign, the policy before the regulator asks, the restructuring before the CCMA. Prevention over reaction.
04
Scaled to the business
Cover deepens as you grow, from a governed baseline through an actively managed function to senior leadership sitting across a group of companies.
Your counsel
The directors you actually work with.
Not a roster handed down a chain. The senior attorneys beside your business are Natalie Laurencik, Lucy Phillips and Carla Koutroulis, leading commercial, transactional and employment work respectively.
03 · Investment
Three tiers. One standard.
Every tier is delivered at director level. The difference is the depth of cover, not the quality of counsel.
Essential
Build the right legal foundation.
per month, excluding VAT
Core commercial contract templates and contracting standards
Day-to-day commercial and employment law guidance
Core POPIA policies and processing register
Employment contracts and essential workplace policies
Routine CIPC compliance and company secretarial oversight
Quarterly legal risk check-in
Priority access to the legal team
Best for: Owner-managed businesses that need a sound legal foundation and ongoing support.
Advisory
An actively managed legal function for a growing business.
per month, excluding VAT
Everything in Essential, plus
Ongoing contract review, negotiation and lifecycle management
Employment strategy for disciplinary matters, restructures and CCMA disputes
POPIA programme management, staff training and Information Officer support
Founder, shareholder and governance advice
B-BBEE and sector-specific compliance mapping
Named primary counsel
Quarterly strategic risk review
Best for: Scaling businesses with regular contracts, employees and increasing compliance risk.
Embedded
Senior legal leadership across your business or group.
per month, excluding VAT
Everything in Advisory, plus
Group-wide legal oversight across multiple entities
Board and EXCO governance support
M&A, investment and transaction readiness
Intellectual property portfolio and licensing oversight
Legal integration of newly acquired businesses
Litigation strategy and management of external counsel
Dedicated lead counsel working alongside management
Preferential rates for major transactions, disputes and overflow work
Best for: Group companies and management teams preparing for investment, acquisition, expansion or exit.
Pricing is based on the number of entities, employee headcount, contract volume and regulatory complexity. Litigation, transaction execution, formal CCMA proceedings and substantial standalone drafting projects are scoped and priced separately.
How it compares
Fractional counsel, in-house hire, or law firm.
Three ways to get legal advice into a business. One is built for continuous stewardship of risk rather than the clock.
Fractional General Counsel Consilium | In-house hire Full-time | Traditional law firm Per matter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Fixed monthly fee, a fraction of a salary | R1.2m–R2m+ salary, benefits and overhead | Billable hours at firm rates |
| Availability | Standing, briefed and on call | Permanent, single business | By appointment, reactive |
| Seniority | Director throughout | Depends who you hire | Partner review at a premium |
| Posture | Proactive, ahead of the issue | Proactive | Reactive, after the issue |
| Scope | Whole-business stewardship | Whole business | Per matter, per instruction |
| Continuity | Named primary + secondary cover | Single point of failure | Whoever is available |
| Flexibility | Scale up or down with notice | Fixed headcount | Engage per matter |
06 · Engagement
How It Works
01
Discovery
A 30-minute call to understand your business, your current legal exposure and your priorities. No obligation, no fee.
02
Proposal
A tailored proposal matching the right tier to your business, with a clear scope of service, onboarding plan, and standard work turnaround expectations.
03
Onboarding
A structured two-week process: document audit, policy review, exposure mapping, priorities set. You start with a clear view of where you stand.
04
Delivery
Scheduled check-ins, responsive advisory, proactive risk management. Your primary director is your single point of contact.
05
Review
Quarterly strategic review to adjust scope, pricing or engagement as your business evolves.
Questions on the model
Before you engage a counsel.
Counsel Access
Schedule a
Strategic Briefing
A 30-minute call to understand your business, your current legal exposure and your priorities. No obligation. No fee.
info@consilium.co.za
Offices
Cape Town · Johannesburg
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