Frequently Asked Questions
What is General Counsel as a Service (GCaaS)?
General Counsel as a Service is an outsourced legal leadership model where a company retains an experienced attorney to serve as its outside general counsel on a retainer or project basis. The attorney provides the same strategic oversight, contract review, regulatory compliance, and board-level advisory that an in-house general counsel would — without the full-time salary and benefits overhead. LegalKap offers GCaaS for mid-market companies with cross-border operations.
When does a company need outside general counsel?
Companies typically need outside general counsel when they are too large to operate without dedicated legal leadership but not yet large enough to justify a full-time in-house hire. Common triggers include entering new markets, negotiating significant contracts, facing regulatory requirements, preparing for M&A activity, or managing cross-border legal complexity. A GCaaS engagement bridges this gap with senior-level counsel on demand.
What does a fractional general counsel do?
A fractional general counsel handles the full scope of in-house legal work on a part-time or as-needed basis. This includes contract drafting and negotiation, corporate governance, employment law compliance, dispute resolution, M&A due diligence, regulatory filings, and strategic board advisory. At LegalKap, our GCaaS engagements also include cross-border coordination for companies with international operations.
How much does outside general counsel cost compared to in-house?
An in-house general counsel in the U.S. typically costs $250,000–$500,000+ annually in salary and benefits. An outside GCaaS retainer is structured as a fixed monthly fee based on scope, typically ranging from a fraction of that cost. Companies gain access to senior legal leadership, cross-border expertise, and a full advisory team — at a predictable cost without employment overhead.
