7 Strategic Benefits for High-Performing Legal Teams
Legal teams are being asked to do more with less. Whether it’s covering parental leaves or just keeping up with everyday volume, in-house teams are feeling the pressure. Adding a full-time hire? That’s not always fast or budget-friendly. Traditional firms? Often too rigid or costly for what you need day-to-day.
More businesses are turning to fractional legal support, a model that’s helping GCs and legal ops leaders scale smarter. Much like fractional CMOs, CTOs, or CFOs, this model provides access to seasoned professionals without the commitment of a full-time hire. This isn’t just a temporary fix either. It’s part of a growing trend in how companies are building scalable, adaptable teams.
Recently, Matt Wheatley, VP of Client Strategy here at Priori, sat down with Kristina Agassi, Executive Director, Atrix Advisory, and Lynden Renwick, Managing Partner, Out-House Attorneys, to discuss the emerging trend of fractional legal support, and why growing businesses are adopting this model to manage legal complexity, fill critical gaps, and drive better outcomes.
Whether you’re exploring the fractional model for the first time or looking to optimize your outside counsel management, here are seven reasons why fractional legal support is becoming a go-to solution for in-house teams.
1. Access to Scalable Legal Support
One of the standout benefits of fractional legal support is scalability. Companies are choosing to hire fractional attorneys, on a part-time or flexible arrangement, as an extension of their team. This flexibility allows in-house teams to ramp up or down based on project demands, without the long-term commitment of a full-time hire, or the delays often associated with traditional law firms.
Lynden talks about how fractional lawyers can easily scale, functioning as embedded resources, ready to flex with demand, without the friction of traditional models. “I wouldn’t say we compete with the Big Law firms because Big Law firms do Big Law firm things. They focus on low-volume, high margin work. They don’t want the kind of high-volume, low margin work that we focus on. We’re different because we do the work, we’re the ones in the trenches. My team has daily communication with the clients. We’re part of their in-house environment.”
2. Save On Cost Without Compromising Quality
Many fractional lawyers have worked in Big Law, or served as in-house GCs, which means they bring the same level of expertise without the hefty rates. Opting for fractional support gives companies access to top-tier legal professionals who understand the nuances of both corporate strategy and legal frameworks, all while staying within budget.
Lynden says, “One of the reasons why clients have traditionally had a standoff relationship with outside counsel is because they know for every minute they spend on that call, that clock is ticking. But if you have a genuinely symbiotic relationship where your value exceeds the cost, they can trust you. As for the cost-savings, I think that’s the cherry on top because the biggest difference that we make is to the lives of the people we work with–that’s in the sales team, to the C-suite, to the legal team–you become a real, core part of the business.”
3. Fill Critical Gaps
Fractional legal support can fill important gaps including parental leaves, sabbaticals, or between permanent hires. For startups and scaling organizations, where legal needs can change quickly, having fast responses to legal challenges are important to reduce the strain on lean in-house teams.
Kristina says, “Startups and mid-market companies usually have Big Law firms that give them occasional memos, but their day-to-day legal needs are left unmet. That’s where we step in. Instead of waiting weeks for answers or taking risks without guidance, companies get immediate, embedded legal support.”
She adds, “Many of my clients already have a GC, and I plug in the gaps. Being a GC myself, I know how much executive-level work you have to do that has nothing to do with legal practice. You don’t have time for day-to-day legal work, and that’s where I come in.”
4. Optimize Outside Counsel Management with Fractional Legal Ops
Fractional counsel don’t just come at a lower cost than traditional law firms, fractional legal ops pros can add value by optimizing how companies engage with their outside counsel. By overseeing these relationships and negotiating rates, fractional lawyers can make sure the company isn’t overpaying for legal work.
Lynden highlights this growing trend, “One thing that I’ve seen a lot of growth in the past two years is outside counsel management, where we get sent in to negotiate against or negotiate with the client’s traditional outside counsel. So they don’t get bamboozled and just pay ridiculous amounts for low-hanging fruit. We can do that because everyone on my team has Big Law experience. We know the internal constraints and pressures that outside counsel face and how to balance them with in-house team interests.”
5. Build Stronger, Trusted Partnerships
Success in fractional support hinges on relationships and trust. As shared in the webinar, the most effective fractional lawyers act as true extensions of the in-house team, integrating into communication channels like Slack, email, and participating in strategy meetings to align on business objectives. This collaborative approach helps to build and sustain long-term relationships.
Kristina says, “You have access to a resource at all times. I'm always on Slack. I'm always available. I'm always responding to my texts. Probably much more responsive than even Big Law attorneys because they're just usually focused on the bigger clients, the Fortune 500. Not necessarily the smaller clients that they have in their stack. For me, everyone is a big client.”
6. Gain Versatile Legal Support
Fractional lawyers typically work with different companies, many times across industries, so they have experience handling different legal scenarios. As generalists, they can navigate a wide range of matters, from complex contracts, IPOs, to mergers & acquisitions, offering in-house teams more versatile support.
In Lynden’s experience, clients want a one-stop shop. He says, “I’ve been able to do so much more for my clients because of my varied background— litigation, corporate, IP, data privacy, real estate, M&A. And when clients are looking for a one-stop shop, or something comes across their desk, being able to have that person is invaluable.”
Kristina emphasizes, “It’s a full-service practice, but the goal is to focus on the client and let them lead you where they want to go with your services.”
7. Insights for Business Growth
Fractional legal support plays an important role in a company’s strategic growth, offering guidance on initiatives like market expansion, for instance. This type of counsel helps in-house teams make informed decisions quickly.
Lynden emphasizes that providing fractional legal support is a career-path, not a stop gap. “GCs and DGCs need someone as good as them to do the work that only they can do. So if you hire someone, then you have to get the budget approval, you have to train them in a lot of instances, and then hope that they don’t try to take your job or your next promotion. I’ve been a GC. I don’t need to be trained, I don’t need a salary, I don’t need to be loaded with benefits, and I don’t want your job. So I think that there’s a lot of comfort in being able to have a reliable resource that just is there to help.”
Matt’s discussion with Lynden and Kristina underscores how fractional legal support is a strategic solution for in-house teams that need to optimize costs, manage legal complexity, or extend their team’s capacity. This flexible model gives businesses the agility and insights they need to stay competitive.
Watch the webinar on “Finding Fractional Success: Benefits for Attorneys and Legal Departments” for a discussion on trends in the flexible legal talent landscape.
Looking for an attorney for a project? Priori Marketplace uses data and technology to rapidly connect legal departments of any size with the right outside counsel for projects globally, saving them time and money. Start an RFP and find an attorney today.
