Six Steps To Your Placed In-House Counsel
Flexible engagement models - no billing surprises. Every engagement model is built around predictability and value. You always know what specialist legal support costs.
1
Discovery Call
A complimentary 30-minute call to understand your business, contracts and legal risk exposure.
2
Legal Risk Review
A complimentary 60-minute Legal Risk Review session — in person or video — with no obligation.
3
Complimentary Training
An introductory training session for your team, at no cost — covering a topic relevant to your live contracts.
4
Tailored Proposal
A clear proposal setting out the recommended engagement tier, scope and monthly fee.
5
Pilot Month
An optional one-month pilot at the standard rate — experience the service before committing.
6
Ongoing Placement
Your placed lawyer works within your business on a monthly retainer, with regular check-ins and quarterly reviews.
Flexible Engagement Models
No Billing Surprises
STANDARD RETAINER
$6,000 per month
25 hours
US$ 240/hr equiv.
Ongoing embedded legal support: contract review, live project advice, claims prevention, commercial team access. Your placed lawyer works within your business structure.
Best for: contractors, subcontractors and developers needing consistent senior legal support.
LIGHT RETAINER
$3,500 per month
10 hours
US$ 350/hr equiv.
Lower-touch ongoing support: contract review, periodic advice and on-call access for businesses with lighter or more occasional legal needs.
Best for: smaller contractors and subcontractors, or as a starting engagement before scaling up.
TAILORED PACKAGE
Custom
Scoped to your requirements
Other arrangements can be agreed depending on your specific requirements — higher-hour retainers, project-based instructions, or hybrid models.
Best for: larger programmes, active dispute pipelines or bespoke scopes of work.
How we keep costs low: C&IDS operates with low overheads - no expensive office space, no teams of juniors or support staff to fund. Your placed lawyer works directly within your business structure, and intelligent technology handles routine legal administration - so you pay for senior judgment, not law firm infrastructure.
Site visits & face-to-face meetings: available in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, London and key African business hubs, subject to separately agreed pricing.
The Fractional Advantage
The fractional advantage comes down to three things: affordability that puts senior specialist counsel within reach, seniority that means specialist experience rather than associate-level cover, and flexibility that scales with your business rather than locking you into fixed overhead. Here's what that looks like in practice.
Title | Estimated Annual Cost | Seniority | Flexibility | C&IDS Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
C&IDS Placed Counsel (Standard Retainer) | US$72,000/year | Highest — senior specialist construction lawyers | Maximum — scale up or down monthly | The benchmark |
Full-Time In-House Counsel | US$280,000–420,000+/year | High — if hired well | None — permanent headcount | 75–80% cost saving vs. full-time hire |
Specialist Law Firm | US$180,000–350,000+/year | Variable — often associate-led | Low — unpredictable hourly billing | 60–70% cost saving vs. law firm rates |
HOW C&IDS CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS
Key Advantages Of Our Fractional In-House Legal Placement Model:
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Affordable fixed monthly retainer cost model, saving up to 70% over an equivalent specialist law firm engagement
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Highly efficient with a skilled legal expert directly embedded within your organisation, not external
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Convenience where your placed lawyer becomes part of your team, familiar with your own contracts and procedures
