Legal Talent, On Your Terms
In today’s fast-evolving business landscape, flexibility is everything — and that includes legal support.
More and more companies in the UAE are ditching the traditional, full-time General Counsel model in favour of a smarter, leaner solution: fractional Senior Legal Counsel. It’s a trend that’s picking up serious momentum, and one UAE-based firm is leading the charge.
According to Oryx Legal Consultants, a professional services firm that’s been redefining how legal support is delivered across the region, the demand for fractional legal services has surged. In fact, over 60 percent of Oryx’s legal mandate revenue in 2024 came from placing senior lawyers into businesses on a fractional basis — and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Q1 of 2025 already saw a 15 percent increase in these types of mandates compared to the previous quarter.
So, what exactly is the fractional model?
It’s all about bringing in experienced legal professionals on a flexible, part-time or full-time basis, tailored to the company’s needs — whether for a specific project or ongoing support. Think of it as having a high-caliber General Counsel on your team without the long-term cost and commitment of a full-time hire.
And the benefits? Plenty.
Companies can control their budgets more effectively, reduce legal risks, and cut down on external counsel fees and employee benefit costs — all while gaining strategic, in-house level advice from seasoned legal professionals.
“Many businesses are choosing to bring in senior legal professionals on a fractional basis, often replacing the traditional full-time General Counsel role,” explains Vanessa Abernethy, Co-Founder at Oryx.
By tapping into this model, businesses — especially SMEs and growth-stage companies — get precise, high-level support when they need it most, without the overhead of permanent hires. It also means that legal teams can be scaled up or down at short notice, making it a perfect fit for today’s dynamic market conditions.
It’s not just for startups, either.
Large corporates and financial institutions are also jumping on board. For them, long-term fractional roles offer continuity, with lawyers who understand the internal workings of the company — something that’s often missing when outsourcing to traditional external firms.
“Technological developments have made it easier than ever for senior legal professionals to work remotely and still be fully embedded in a team,” adds Natalie Boyd, Co-Founder of Oryx.
She says the shift toward remote and hybrid models, which accelerated during the pandemic, is now deeply ingrained in the legal industry. As a result, companies benefit from lower overheads, while legal professionals get the chance to diversify away from the traditional law firm model.
Inside the Oryx Model
At Oryx, fractional senior counsels are more than just external consultants — they become fully integrated members of client teams, offering expert support across a wide range of areas including transactional work, corporate governance, IPO readiness, regulatory matters, and licensing.
Clients also gain access to Oryx’s broad network of multi-lingual, multi-disciplinary experts, bringing a truly 360-degree approach to business advisory.
Since its launch in 2022, Oryx Consulting has transformed from a legal start-up into a multi-award-winning consultancy, offering not just legal services but also corporate finance, compliance, and board-level solutions. The firm operates on a senior-led model with fixed-fee billing, making legal services more transparent, affordable, and efficient.
As the legal sector continues to evolve, fractional legal services look set to become the new norm — offering businesses in the UAE and beyond the flexibility, agility, and expertise they need to navigate a complex regulatory landscape without breaking the bank.
