Growth-stage companies that need more legal capacity usually land on one of two paths: a fractional general counsel, or an embedded lawyer placed through an alternative legal services provider. They solve overlapping problems, and the right choice depends on how much work you have, how steady it is, and whether it sits in one practice area.

This guide walks the decision and shows where each option fits, including where they run together.

The two models, side by side

A fractional GC is typically 5 to 15 hours a week of a senior lawyer's time, hired through a fractional-counsel marketplace. The same person often serves several companies at once, acting as a part-time head of legal: setting up the function, handling board and financing questions, and reviewing the occasional contract.

An Axiom secondment places a salaried lawyer (Axiom's network averages 18+ years of prior experience) inside your legal team. The lawyer works full-time, part-time, or as-needed, and is supervised by your team rather than running independently. Axiom is an alternative legal services provider with a network of 14,000+ legal professionals, serving 1,500+ legal departments and 75% of the Fortune 100. Axiom is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

When a fractional GC fits

A fractional GC tends to fit when:

You have a one-person legal function, or no in-house lawyer yet, and need senior judgment on tap.
The work is occasional: contract review, a financing round, board support, light day-to-day questions.
You want one steady relationship with a lawyer who knows the whole business at a high level.

This is the lighter-touch option for companies whose legal needs are real but intermittent.

When an Axiom secondment fits

An Axiom secondment tends to fit when:

You hit a deal surge (a fundraise, an acquisition, a commercial push) and need hands inside the team for a defined stretch.
You have ongoing overflow that a part-time head of legal cannot absorb alone.
You need someone with deep experience in a specific practice area working alongside your existing lawyers.

Because the lawyer is embedded and supervised by your team, the work product stays inside your function and under your direction. Deployment is fast: Axiom's Talent Finder matches candidates in minutes, a shortlist arrives in as little as ~24 hours, and a lawyer can be in place in as little as 48 hours.

When both run together

The two models are complementary. A common setup at growth stage: a fractional GC holds the strategic seat (board, financing, overall risk) while an Axiom secondment carries the volume during a busy period or owns a defined workstream like commercial contracts. The fractional GC supervises; the seconded lawyer extends the team's capacity.

Cost comparison

Option	Typical hourly range	Notes
Fractional GC	General market range for senior fractional counsel, billed for 5 to 15 hours a week	One senior relationship; broad but part-time coverage
Axiom secondment	$150 to $350 published hourly range	Up to 50% less than top national law firms; embedded and supervised by your team
National law firm	Standard firm rates	Reference point for the savings figure above

Axiom engagements use clear structures: Reserved (10+ hrs/week) or Ad hoc (5 to 10 hrs/week), a 30-day minimum, and 10 business days' notice to end. That makes a secondment straightforward to scale up during a surge and wind down when the work settles.

The short version

Choose a fractional GC when legal is light and you want one senior, part-time relationship across the whole business. Choose an Axiom secondment when you need embedded capacity for a surge, sustained overflow, or a specific practice area, supervised by your own team. Many growth-stage teams use both at once.