Hire a Fractional Corporate Counsel
Fractional Corporate Counsel. Governance Done Right.
Senior corporate law expertise that keeps your cap table clean, your board governance sound, and your corporate structure ready for the fundraise, acquisition, or strategic transaction that’s coming next.
Why founders and boards choose Fractionus
- Vetted practitioners only. We shortlist experienced corporate lawyers with track records in your jurisdiction and transaction type.
- Fast start. Typical kickoff in days — a corporate structure and governance audit moves quickly.
- Flexible engagement. Retainer or transaction-based, scaled to your governance calendar and deal activity.
- Clear outcomes. Clean corporate structure, sound governance documentation, and a business that’s ready for its next significant transaction.
What is a Fractional Corporate Counsel?
A Fractional Corporate Counsel is a senior lawyer who specialises in the corporate law matters that govern how your business is owned, governed, and structured — company formation and structure, shareholder agreements, board governance, cap table management, and the corporate law elements of fundraising and M&A transactions. They bring the depth to handle complex corporate mechanics correctly and the commercial awareness to advise on structure decisions with business outcomes in mind.
Good corporate lawyers are forward-thinkers. They structure and document decisions not just for today but for where the business is going — ensuring that the agreements and structures put in place now don’t create complications when the next investment round, acquisition, or liquidity event happens.
Where they go deep
- Company formation, structure, and reorganisation
- Shareholder agreements and constitutional documents
- Cap table management and equity documentation
- Employee share schemes (ESSOPs, SARs, options)
- Board governance, minutes, and resolutions
- Fundraising legal support (SAFEs, convertible notes, priced rounds)
- M&A legal support (buy-side and sell-side)
- Corporate due diligence preparation and management
Fractional CSIO
Ex-SoundCloud
Fractional CRO
Ex-Heineken
Fractional CXO
Ex-McKenzie
Fractional GTM
Ex-Salesforce
Fractional Head of AI
Ex-GE Capital
Fractional COO
Ex-Glossier
Fractional CTO
Ex-Afterpay
Fractional CTO
Ex-Google
Fractional CPO
Ex-Pleo
Fractional CTO
Ex-BMW
Fractional CPO
Ex-@ Lego
Fractional CFO
Ex-We Are Brands
When to hire a Fractional Corporate Counsel
- You’re preparing for a funding round. Fundraising legal work — SAFE agreements, term sheets, due diligence, cap table mechanics — requires corporate law expertise. A fractional corporate counsel manages this process, protecting your interests without slowing the deal.
- Your cap table has errors or is undocumented. Investors discover cap table errors during due diligence, at the worst possible moment. A fractional corporate counsel audits and cleans it before you need to show it to anyone.
- You’re setting up an employee share scheme. ESOP design is complex and the choices made at the start have long-term implications for employees and the business. A fractional corporate counsel designs the scheme correctly.
- You’re considering or have received an acquisition approach. M&A transactions require corporate law expertise on both sides. A fractional corporate counsel advises on structure, negotiates terms, and manages the legal process.
What does engagement look like?
Corporate counsel engagements are typically structured around the business’s governance calendar and transaction activity. Most companies maintain a light ongoing advisory retainer for governance work and board support, with additional capacity engaged around transactions — fundraises, acquisitions, restructures, and ESOP events.
An initial corporate governance audit typically delivers
- Corporate structure and documentation review
- Cap table audit and accuracy assessment
- Shareholder agreement and constitution review
- Board governance framework assessment
- ESOP documentation review
- Priority issues list and remediation plan
Hire a Fractional Corporate Counsel
Your next move is one conversation away.
Why the fractional model is surging
Corporate law is an area where the cost of getting it wrong vastly exceeds the cost of getting it right. Founders who engage senior corporate counsel early pay a fraction of what they spend fixing errors discovered during due diligence. The fractional model gives founders and boards access to the corporate law expertise they need at every stage of growth, not just when a transaction forces the issue.
How Fractionus works
- Brief us once. Your corporate structure, cap table status, upcoming transactions, and the corporate law challenges you’re navigating.
- Shortlist in days. Meet 2–3 vetted fractional corporate counsels matched to your jurisdiction and transaction type.
- You choose. Interview, check fit, and select your counsel.
- We handle everything else. Paperwork, billing, and smooth scale-up/scale-down.
What you’ll get — and measure
- A clean, accurate, investor-ready cap table
- Corporate governance documentation that works correctly and is maintained
- Transaction legal work completed on time and within budget
- A corporate structure your advisors and investors can understand and trust
Fractional leaders from top brands
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions about working with a Fractional Corporate Counsel through Fractionus
How is a Corporate Counsel different from a General Counsel?
A General Counsel covers all areas of legal risk across the business. A Corporate Counsel specialises specifically in corporate law — capital structure, governance, equity, and transactions. For businesses with significant transaction activity or complex corporate structures, the specialist depth is often more valuable.
Can they handle our fundraising legal work without outside law firms?
For standard early-stage rounds (SAFEs, convertible notes, seed) a fractional corporate counsel can often manage the process entirely in-house. For larger priced rounds with institutional investors, they manage the relationship with outside counsel and significantly reduce the cost by handling everything they can themselves.
How quickly can we start?
Most clients meet shortlists within a week and kick off within days after selection.
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