Legal / Private Counsel

Private Counsel is a fractional general counsel style service, designed for individuals, businesses and family offices whose affairs are substantial, evolving and often multi-jurisdictional. We act as a trusted point of continuity across legal, commercial and operational matters, supporting clients as situations develop rather than stepping in only at moments of transaction or dispute. The service provides senior judgement and oversight without the formality or overhead of a full-time appointment.

The primary benefit of an ongoing private counsel arrangement is that we get to know you, your preferences and your requirements. Unlike a larger traditional legal practice where new matters often require the establishment of a new relationship, we provide partner-level generalist advice, recognising the boundaries of our knowledge/competence and instructing specialists as and when required.

We provide unregulated legal services only. This means that there are certain matters that we are, by law, not permitted to carry out for you. Where this applies, we work with clients to carry out the heavy-lifting in-house, and instruct specialist solicitors/counsel to discharge all of the reserved legal activities. See our Statement on the Provision of Legal Services for more information.

Our approach is collaborative, measured and pragmatic. We do not seek to replace specialist legal, tax or advisory input, but to sit alongside it. We help frame questions clearly, test assumptions, identify risks and translate technical advice into practical choices that reflect the client’s broader objectives and tolerance for complexity. We frequently receive introductions from larger firms who have undertaken significant advisory exercises and recommend us for our delivery/implementation ability.

We are generally able to carry out all everyday legal matters in-house, and 80% of specialist matters without external support. Where matter warrants it, it is generally more cost-effective in total for us to appoint specialists on your behalf, acting as a sophisticated legal client and managing the external specialists as your general counsel, than for you to appoint those advisors directly without us.

In practice, on a day-to-day level, this may involve acting as a sounding board, preparing structured briefing notes, coordinating advisors, or quietly managing emerging issues before they require formal escalation. The level of involvement is deliberately proportionate, increasing or reducing as circumstances require.

Private Counsel is typically used by entrepreneurs, founders, principals of family-owned businesses and international families with complex affairs. It is well suited to individuals who value discretion, clear thinking and senior judgement, but who do not wish to build permanent internal infrastructure or rely solely on transactional advice.  

Clients are often sophisticated and well advised, but seek a trusted, experienced presence at the centre of their affairs. Someone who understands the full picture, maintains continuity over time and provides calm oversight as situations evolve.