Interim General Counsel and senior legal cover
An interim General Counsel (GC) provides senior cover when you need a GC in the seat, joining for a defined period or purpose.
Altern8 helps businesses and in-house legal teams put experienced interim legal leadership in place, often considerably faster than a permanent recruitment process.
When businesses use it
- Your GC or senior lawyer has left and you need interim cover
- You need to cover an absence, such as parental leave
- You are recruiting a permanent hire and need to bridge the gap
- You need additional senior capacity during a particularly demanding period
- You are going through a transaction, transformation, growth, or change
What it can cover
- Replacing a departing GC or sole counsel
- Covering an absence or a period of transition
- Managing a transaction or delivering a project
- Senior support during a period of change or challenge
- Coordinating instructions to external law firms and managing work internally
- Helping define and appoint a long-term successor
How the engagement works
We take the time to understand the business, the context, the urgency, and the type of expertise required, then match the brief with experienced legal experts from our platform.
Timings depend on the specialism, location, working pattern, and complexity of the requirement. If a requirement is urgent, we will be transparent about what is achievable and agree a practical timetable with you from the outset.
The engagement can be full-time, part-time, remote, hybrid or on site, and can extend or reduce subject to the notice arrangements agreed in advance.
Senior lawyers who embed quickly
Our consultants understand the demand for a quick solution and are used to embedding themselves quickly to hit the ground running in a new environment.
We remain involved after the engagement begins rather than treating the introduction as the end of our role.
Questions about interim General Counsel
Yes. A permanent process can involve selective hiring, onboarding and a long notice period. Altern8 can bridge the gap with an interim solution until the permanent process is finalised, and an interim consultant can give you the benefit of their own expertise in appointing a long-term successor.
Timings depend on the specialism, location, working pattern, and complexity of the requirement, but flexible support can often be introduced considerably faster than a permanent recruitment process. We will be transparent about what is achievable for your requirement.
Interim support is for a defined period or purpose. Fractional support is ongoing, for part of the working week or month. The two can overlap, and the arrangement can be structured around what your business needs.
We speak with both parties, understand the issue, and determine whether it can be resolved. If the consultant is ultimately not the right fit, we will work with you to identify an appropriate alternative, subject to the agreed engagement terms.
Related services
Tell us what you need
Tell us about the challenge, transaction, or period of change ahead, and we will help you identify the most practical solution.