Fractional General Counsel for growing Australian Companies

Access in‑house‑style legal support on a flexible, subscription or project basis from a team that understands complex contracts, cyber and privacy, government procurement and cross‑border operations.

A legal team that works like it’s in-house without the headcount

Access top-tier expertise without the top-tier price tag.

Our fractional general counsel services give your business a blended team of senior lawyers and admin support without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. Think of it as your own in-house legal counsel: experienced practitioners who work inside your business, learn how it runs, and are on hand whenever you need them, all for a fraction of the price of building a legal department.

Because we are part of the team, we work closely with your leadership, finance, sales, tech and operations people, so legal becomes part of how you plan rather than something you turn to only when a problem lands. We look after the everyday work, contracts, governance and the questions that come up week to week, and we are right beside you for the high-value moments too, from major deals to disputes and big growth decisions. It is flexible, cost-effective legal support that scales with your business.

Cyber, Data & AI

Cyber, privacy and AI governance, built into your GC bench

Cybersecurity, data and AI risks have legal implications as well as technical ones. Our fractional general counsel model addresses these issues as part of your broader legal and compliance framework, so you can respond confidently to questions from customers, regulators and boards.

Under a subscription or GC mandate, we design, implement and maintain:

  • SMB1001-aligned policy packages to give your supply chain a clear legal and governance framework to plug into.
  • Privacy and data governance policy packs that control how personal and sensitive information is collected, used, stored and shared – and who is accountable.
  • Cyber-ready master services agreements and MSAs so your commercial contracts actually match the way you deliver technology and managed services.
  • Data breach response and incident governance packs that link legal obligations, technical workflows and executive decision-making.
  • AI use, acceptable use and responsible AI policies that let you harness AI tools while protecting IP, confidentiality and regulatory compliance.

Because we work as your ongoing GC, we don’t just write documents and disappear – we help you train teams, respond to customer due diligence, and keep your frameworks current as your business and regulatory expectations evolve.

About your counsel

DLC Legal’s fractional general counsel service is led by founder and principal lawyer Kirsten Dilena. Kirsten is a commercial lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience across defence and aviation, mining and construction, ICT and cybersecurity, and major infrastructure projects, spanning legal services, procurement, contract management, governance and compliance. She and her team act as embedded in-house legal counsel for Australian businesses, giving boards and founders senior, commercial advice they can rely on.
In the fast-paced Managed Services industry, it's important to have partners who are as agile, responsive and dependable with our needs as we are with our clients. DLC Legal has been that partner for Cymax for several years. Kirsten and her team have consistently been responsive, professional and prompt, providing practical legal advice and support whenever required. Their ability to understand our business needs and deliver timely outcomes has made DLC Legal a trusted extension of our team. Over the years, I have also referred DLC Legal to a number of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) across Australia. Without exception, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Those organisations have consistently praised the professionalism, expertise and responsiveness of the DLC Legal team, reinforcing our own experience that they are a firm of the highest calibre. If you're looking for an exceptional legal partner, you've found one in DLC Legal.
Sean Dendle
Cymax

Subscription cyber‑legal support for SMEs without
in‑house counsel

Many of our fractional general counsel clients are SMEs that have become critical suppliers in a larger company’s security chain. They are handed enterprise-grade security questionnaires, data processing addenda and AI risk questionnaires, but have no internal legal team to back up their IT experts. That gap is exactly what a fractional general counsel fills.

  • A named lawyer who knows your business and tech stack.
  • Fast, practical help with security clauses, DPAs, MSAs and SOWs.
  • Regular reviews and updates to your policies, playbooks and incident processes.
  • A clear escalation path when something breaks, or a major data incident occurs.

You get the assurance and responsiveness of an internal team, with the flexibility of a subscription you can scale up or down as your pipeline and risk profile change.

FAQs

  • What does a fractional general counsel do?

    A fractional general counsel handles the legal work an employed general counsel would, without the full-time salary. Typical fractional general counsel services for an Australian business include:

    •       Drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts, MSAs, SOWs and supplier/customer agreements
    •     Transaction and legal strategy support, including bid support
    •       Governance, board and compliance support, including policies and risk registers
    •       Privacy and data handling aligned with the Australian Privacy Principles
    •       Business advisory on growth, partnerships, funding and exits
    •       A clear escalation point when a dispute, breach or urgent matter lands

    The scope is agreed up front, so you know what is covered before any work begins.

  • How is a fractional general counsel different from hiring a law firm or an in-house lawyer?

    A fractional general counsel sits between a traditional law firm and a full-time hire. The differences that matter most for a small business are:

    •       Cost: a predictable monthly fee or project rate, not open-ended hourly billing or a full salary plus on-costs.
    •       Context: your legal support team learns your business, so advice is commercial and practical 
    •       Availability: support scales up and down with your pipeline, unlike a fixed in-house headcount
    •       Breadth: you draw on a team’s combined experience instead of a single in-house lawyer’s

    Traditional firms suit one-off transactions; full in-house legal counsel suits large, steady legal volume. A fractional model fits the businesses in between.

  • How much do fractional general counsel services cost in Australia?

    Fractional general counsel services are usually priced as legal subscription services: a fixed monthly fee for an agreed scope of work, with larger pieces quoted separately as projects. Pricing depends on the volume and complexity of work, from lighter contract-review support through to a broad governance and advisory mandate. At DLC Legal, the scope and monthly fee are set out clearly before you commit, so budgeting stays predictable.

  • Is a fractional general counsel the same as a virtual general counsel?

    In practice, yes. Virtual general counsel and fractional general counsel describe the same idea: senior in-house-style legal support delivered remotely and part-time, rather than by a full-time employee. “Virtual” emphasises that the work is delivered online and on demand, while “fractional” emphasises that you use a fraction of a full general counsel’s time. Some businesses also call it outsourced or on-demand general counsel. Both provide ongoing, in-house-style legal support without committing to a full-time general counsel.

  • When should a small business consider a fractional general counsel?

    Most small businesses experience growing pains reach for fractional support when legal work becomes too frequent for ad-hoc firm engagements but not yet large enough to justify a full-time hire. Common triggers include signing larger or or sophisticated/complex customer or supplier contracts, responding to security and privacy questionnaires, entering government or enterprise supply chains, raising capital, or preparing for sale. If legal questions are starting to slow your sales, delivery or board decisions, a fractional general counsel gives you ongoing access to legal advice when you need it.

  • What kinds of businesses use DLC Legal’s fractional general counsel?

    DLC Legal’s fractional general counsel clients are typically growing Australian companies and SMEs that have become important suppliers to larger organisations. Many operate in defence, mining and construction, ICT and cybersecurity, health and advanced manufacturing, where customer due diligence and contract risk are high but there is no internal legal team. For these businesses, embedded in-house legal counsel on a subscription basis closes the gap without adding permanent headcount. DLC Legal also supports global enterprises through supplemental support to existing in house teams subject to headcount restrictions.

  • Do you provide fractional general counsel services outside Brisbane?

    Yes. DLC Legal is headquartered in Brisbane, Queensland, with employees and contractors in Queensland, NSW, ACT, and Victoria and provides fractional general counsel services to businesses across Australia. Because the model is delivered as virtual general counsel, remotely and on demand, your location makes little difference to responsiveness. As admitted Australian legal practitioners, we advise under Australian law and the Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules, and align privacy and data work with the Australian Privacy Principles, wherever your business operates. We have practitioners based in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT.