Our fractional in-house legal department is a new model. This FAQ makes it simple.
What is Unified Law?
A fractional in-house legal department—GCs, AGCs, paralegals, and legal assistants without the payroll
How are you different?
We are all in-house or government attorneys. We think like business partners, not vendors.
Who do you work with?
US tech companies, consumer brands, PE sponsors, and social enterprises.
Explore our comprehensive FAQ collection for details and helpful explanations. If your question isn’t answered here, our team is happy to help via chat or email support.
The Model
Why not just hire a full-time GC?
Because stage fit matters more than credentials. A Fortune 500 GC may look great on paper but can crash in a growth company. Early-stage and mid-stage businesses need builders who thrive in chaos, move fast, and create systems from scratch—not optimizers trained for steady states. Our model flexes as you grow, so you’re never stuck with the wrong hire.
What's Builders vs Optimizers
Builders thrive in turbulence. They can work without infrastructure, make calls with incomplete information, and prioritize speed over perfection. Optimizers shine once systems are established—they polish, perfect, and scale. Both are valuable, but only if matched to the right growth stage. We give you builders when you’re building, and optimizers when you’re ready to refine.ck any question to view its answer instantly below.
What if my company is PE-backed?
Then you already know the pressures: compressed timelines, constant M&A, multiple stakeholders, fund-level scrutiny. We do too. That’s why our model includes attorneys who’ve been in the boardroom, run exits, and understand investor expectations from day one.
What is the top mistake in legal capacity building?
Hiring for resume instead of reality. The “perfect” Fortune 500 background often flames out in a $50M growth sprint. The GC who can build from scratch may not look as shiny on paper, but they’ll create order from chaos. Our model makes sure you don’t have to guess—we match the right team to your actual stage.
Why do so many funds end up hiring the wrong GC?
Because they hire for pedigree instead of pace. Credit funds bring in PE lawyers. Hedge funds poach investment bankers. Private debt platforms grab from law firms. Then they’re surprised when their legal team can’t keep up. Fit isn’t about prestige. It’s about matching the legal team to your fund’s actual metabolism.
How does Unified Law help companies avoid this risk?
With our fractional in-house department, you get GC-level leadership without the $1.5–2.5M downside of a bad hire. We scale with your stage and needs, so you’re never locked into one expensive profile. Instead of gambling on one person’s fit, you get an embedded team of seasoned in-house counsel who already know how to deliver at speed.
Can a fractional model really keep up with market speed?
Absolutely. In fact, it’s built for it. One GC alone can’t cover regulatory oversight, daily deal flow, and investor demands. Our model gives you a team—senior GCs backed by specialists and support attorneys—so you’re not bottlenecked. You get legal leadership that moves at the same velocity as your investment strategy.
What’s the hidden cost of hiring the wrong full-time GC?
For growing companies, it’s often 18 months and $1.5–2.5M. That includes salary, severance, search fees, missed deals, and executive distraction. And that’s conservative—at enterprise scale, those costs easily double or triple.
Why is the cost so high?
Because the damage goes beyond compensation: • Missed opportunities. M&A delayed, expansions stalled, market windows missed. • Remediation. Weak contracts, compliance gaps, disputes, fractured teams. • Executive distraction. CEOs and CFOs pulled into legal firefighting instead of strategy. • Cultural damage. Talent walks, boards lose confidence, and business units sidestep legal.
How does Unified Law help companies avoid this risk?
With our fractional in-house department, you get GC-level leadership without the $1.5–2.5M downside of a bad hire. We scale with your stage and needs, so you’re never locked into one expensive profile. Instead of gambling on one person’s fit, you get an embedded team of seasoned in-house counsel who already know how to deliver at speed.
Isn’t a full-time GC the better long-term solution?
Sometimes—once you’re big and stable enough. But most growth-stage and mid-market PE-backed companies don’t need a $400K+ GC plus staff. They need a legal function that drives returns, accelerates deals, and keeps them exit-ready. That’s exactly what Unified delivers—without the 18-month, multimillion-dollar gamble.
What are the signs a traditional GC hire might fail?
We see three patterns again and again: 1. The Big Law Savior Syndrome. Companies bring in a law firm partner expecting transformation. Nine months later, they’re stuck with slow systems and risk-averse decision-making. In-house work is about balancing speed and risk—not replicating law firm process. 2. The Industry Clone Trap. Hiring from the “exact same industry” sounds safe but often backfires. Industry clones can be locked into old ways of thinking and blind spots. The best GCs often come with adjacent experience and fresh perspective. 3. The Consensus Hire Warning. Everyone likes them, but no one’s excited. They don’t challenge assumptions. Great legal leaders press on sacred cows and ask hard questions. If the hire feels like the “safe bet,” it may end in mediocrity.
How does Unified Law solve these problems?
Instead of gambling on one hire, you get a fractional in-house department that already checks all the boxes: • Former GCs who know how to lead with business judgment • Builders who thrive in controlled chaos • Teams that simplify and accelerate instead of over-engineering • Perspective across industries, not just one narrow lane
Why is this better than just hiring a single GC?
Because with one person, you risk misalignment that costs 18 months and millions in lost value. With Unified, you get a team that flexes with your stage, your deals, and your goals—no guesswork, no costly pivots.
Pricing
Subscription, hourly, and equity-for-services.
Can Unified Law take equity or success fees instead of cash?
In special circumstances, and sometimes through other affiliated entities, Unified Law may accept equity or success-based fees in place of, or in addition to, a cash fee. This option is reserved for select clients and transactions where it makes sense for all parties—and always requires a custom arrangement that complies with all legal ethics and industry best practices.
How does Unified Law price sell-side M&A, fundraising, restructurings, or refinancing?
Our pricing for these services takes into account: The complexity and size of the deal or fundraising (including diligence, investor requirements, and regulatory factors) The strength of our client relationship and how well we know your business The likelihood and timing of a successful close Your cash position and overall fundraising runway Regardless, our fees are typically 1/3 less than those of traditional firms.
