UAE companies 'turn to fractional legal counsel model'

Trade Arabia

15-04-2025

UAE companies are increasingly opting for fractional senior legal counsel solutions as a flexible alternative to permanent hires, according to Oryx Legal Consultants, an UAE-based professional services firm redefining the sector.
There is a rise in demand for this model as companies are rethinking full-time headcount amidst rising costs, corporate tax and regulatory pressure, it said.
In 2024, over 60% of Oryx's legal mandate revenue came from placing senior lawyers into businesses on a fractional basis. The trend has continued into 2025, with fractional mandates up by 15% in Q1 2025, signalling a clear shift in how institutions are resourcing legal leadership.
The fractional model enables businesses to embed senior lawyers on a full-time or part-time basis, whether for projects or longer term – providing the strategic insight and efficiency of in-house senior counsel without the need for a full-time hire. Companies also benefit from flexible control over budget and legal risk mitigation, while reducing external counsel fees and employee benefit costs, it said.
'Many businesses are choosing to bring in senior legal professionals on a fractional basis, often replacing the traditional full-time General Counsel role,' said Vanessa Abernethy, Co-Founder at Oryx. 'By engaging a senior legal expert with the right specialism, businesses gain precise, high-level support on complex issues without the need to expand permanent headcount, and the costs that accompany that. The fractional model allows companies to scale legal support at short notice as needed – offering agility, efficiency, and access to more cost-effective senior expertise when it matters most.'
Fractional legal services are gaining traction across all industries from financial services, funds, and technology to healthcare, media and real estate. Whilst particularly valuable for SMEs and growth-stage companies, who often struggle to afford full-time legal or compliance teams, the model is equally attractive to leading corporates and financial institutions. These organisations benefit from long term fractional roles who are familiar with internal structures and ambitions, rather than relying on external firms with limited insight into their business.
'The pandemic fuelled a global shift in the way institutions approach their resourcing issues' added Natalie Boyd, Co-Founder of Oryx. 'Technological developments have rendered the phenomenon of working on a hybrid basis or entirely remotely as an integral team member commonplace, meaning that senior legal professionals no longer need to rely on traditional employment models to operate in the UAE or elsewhere This low overhead model results in a seismic downward shift in fee rates for clients whilst retaining dedicated access to an exceptional talent pool – a win/win situation for senior legal professionals seeking diversification from the traditional law firm model, and clients reclaiming control over external legal spend.'
At Oryx, fractional senior counsels become fully integrated within client teams, gaining a deep insight into the business and providing incisive commercially oriented legal advice on the full range of transactional and advisory mandates, corporate governance, IPO readiness and licensing and regulatory matters. Clients also benefit from access to the firm's broader network of multi-disciplinary and multi-lingual consultants, the practice said.