Fractional General Counsel Chicago

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Fractional General Counsel

The Fractional General Counsel is responsible for supporting and advising on all aspects of their legal rights and responsibilities. Additionally, they ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and company policies. The tasks include providing legal advice, creating, and leading legal strategy, Leading and managing the legal team, Reviewing and drafting legal documents, Representing the company in court and managing litigation actions.

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We Have Extensive Experience in this Field

At Burhanuddin Law, we pride ourselves on achieving a high quality of service and aim to ensure that all our clients feel valued and always respected. We have dedicated ourselves to personal service and believe our clients deserve personal attention. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us immediately. We are constantly working to ensure that your legal concerns are completely understood, and to provide them the best possible.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is general counsel?

A general counsel is a company’s chief legal officer and is considered its primary leader on all legal issues affecting an organization and its employees, contractors, and customers. They advise on and create important business decisions affecting a company’s daily and long-term operations.

What does a general counsel do?

An organization’s general counsel handles issues of legalities for many, if not all, aspects of a company and the positions it employs. In addition, a general counsel’s work can involve aspects of marketing, communications, crisis control, compliance, taxes, IP and labor relations. Realistically, there is no part of a company’s operations not affected by what general counsels do and recommend.

What is an outside general counsel?

Outside general counsels can provide temporary, long-term and/or on-demand services for companies who need legal assistance but want to avoid the high costs associated with hiring a full-time general counsel.

What are outsourced general counsel services?

Honestly, there are few matters in a company not touched by what a general counsel might advise on. Controlling M&A activity is one of the most important aspects of what a general counsel does, but they also work with a range of other details, from non-compete matters for employees to company structuring to save on operating costs and taxes.

Why should I hire an outsourced or outside general counsel?

Some of the reasons why businesses of any size might opt to outsource general counsel services to help manage or supplement their legal needs include:

Your start-up or small business is ready to scale up, but uninterested in committing to the overhead of a full-time, in-house legal hire.
You have urgent legal concerns that require expert ad-hoc counsel.
You are preparing for a complex transaction such as a merger, acquisition, round of fundraising or an IPO.
You require legal expertise in a specific area to supplement your in-house general counsel.
You have unpredictable legal needs.
You often require an outside attorney to negotiate, draft, and review business documents, contracts and agreements.
You could use help putting proper legal protocols in place to ensure your business is protected from unnecessary risks.
At times, your in-house legal staff is busy or overwhelmed with existing work but not regularly enough to justify hiring a new, full-time employee.

Burhanuddin Law can provide prompt management of any of the above issues, plus many more. Our team has extensive experience across a broad range of industries and practice areas and is well-prepared to offer informed, collaborative counsel when you need it, in a manner that supports and protects your business goals.

Disclaimer:

This FAQ page is published as a general information resource. This FAQ page is not legal advice, nor should it be used as such. This FAQ page does not apply to any specific facts, matter or person. All situations are different.

Anyone seeking legal advice should speak to their attorney. If you need to speak with an Illinois business attorney about a specific matter, please set up a free consultation through our website contact us page or by calling our main office at (312) 216-5174

Frequently Asked Questions About Fractional General Counsel

What is a fractional general counsel?

A fractional general counsel (fractional GC) is a licensed business attorney who serves as your company’s in-house legal advisor on a part-time or as-needed basis — without the cost of a full-time hire. Instead of paying a six-figure salary and benefits, you get the same strategic legal guidance for a fraction of the price. Burhanuddin Law LLC provides fractional GC services specifically designed for family-owned small and mid-sized businesses in Chicago and the surrounding area.

How much does a fractional general counsel cost compared to a full-time hire?

A full-time in-house general counsel typically costs $200,000–$400,000 per year in salary alone, plus benefits, bonuses, and overhead. A fractional GC arrangement through a firm like Burhanuddin Law gives your business access to the same level of legal expertise at a significantly lower cost — typically structured as a monthly retainer or hourly engagement. For most small and mid-sized family businesses in Chicago, this is a much smarter way to get ongoing legal counsel without overextending the budget.

What does a fractional GC actually do for a family-owned business?

A fractional general counsel acts as a trusted legal partner across every area of your business — reviewing and drafting contracts, advising on business decisions, managing risk, and handling vendor, partner, and employment matters. For family-owned businesses in Chicago, this often includes guidance on ownership structures, succession planning, and protecting the business across generations. Fariz M. Burhanuddin works directly with business owners to understand their goals and provide practical, plain-English legal advice.

How is a fractional GC different from just hiring a business lawyer when I need one?

When you hire a lawyer only for one-off projects, they have to learn your business from scratch each time — which takes time and costs money. A part-time general counsel builds an ongoing relationship with you and your business, so they already understand your contracts, your vendors, your risks, and your goals. Burhanuddin Law’s fractional GC model is built for business owners who want a proactive legal partner, not just someone to call when things go wrong.

Is a fractional general counsel right for my family-owned business in Chicago?

If your business is growing, signing more contracts, adding employees, or facing more complex decisions, a fractional GC is worth serious consideration. Family-owned businesses in particular benefit from having a trusted attorney who understands both the business and the family dynamics that come with it. Burhanuddin Law LLC works with small and mid-sized family businesses throughout Chicago and the Chicagoland area who need reliable legal support without the cost of a full-time attorney.