Fractional Counsel for startups, SMEs and legal teams

Do you need an outsourced General Counsel or high-quality legal support, without hiring a full-time lawyer? Fractional counsel gives you access to senior legal expertise, available based on your actual needs, hourly, on a monthly retainer, or per project.

PSL Avocat works alongside founders, legal teams, and operational leadership, on contracts, EU regulatory compliance (AI Act, GDPR, DSA), and day-to-day business law questions, with the operational mindset of someone who has been on the client side for 15 years.

Fractional Counsel: Senior outsourced legal support, when you need it

For whom?

Tech startups and scale-ups (up to 50 people)

You are structuring your first commercial contracts, signing with European partners, or working to bring your product into compliance with the GDPR or the AI Act, but you do not yet have in-house counsel, or your in-house lawyer is already overloaded with corporate matters. Fractional counsel gives you access to a senior legal point of contact now, without high fixed costs.

Mid-sized legal departments needing additional support

Activity spike, cross-functional project, international expansion, regulatory compliance. Your team needs senior support on a temporary basis, with someone who can be operational immediately and without an onboarding period.

International companies entering the French or Spanish market

You are a US, UK, or Asian company whose products or services reach EU users. GDPR applies. The AI Act applies. French and Spanish governing law may apply to your contracts. You need a single point of contact who knows both jurisdictions, advises in English, and has operated inside organisations like yours.

Founders and operators based in Barcelona and Paris with recurring needs

You run a company or are a legal director in Spain or France, you contract in France and across Europe, and you have regular legal questions but not enough to justify a hire. A single point of contact, in English, French or Spanish, who understands your business.

What fractional counsel covers

Contracts and negotiation

• Drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, SaaS agreements, licence agreements, and partnership agreements.

• Contract templates and Terms and Conditions adapted to your business and your markets.

• Review of incoming contracts before signature.

Digital compliance

• GDPR: audit, documentation, data processing arrangements, privacy notices, and incident response.

• AI Act: identifying the obligations applicable to your AI systems based on the risk classification.

• DSA, DMA, Data Act: regulatory monitoring and operational compliance support.

Legal operations

• Setting up internal legal processes: intake, approval, and archiving.

• Deployment of legal self-service tools: portals, forms, and playbooks.

• Independent assessment of legal tech tools, including ROI and fit with actual business needs.

Day-to-day business support

• Answering routine legal questions from your sales, operations, and product teams.

• Support in pre-litigation matters and management of supplier and customer disputes.

How it works

Monthly retainer

A defined number of hours per month, with a single point of contact who understands your business context. Ideal for companies with recurring but variable legal needs.

Project-based support

A contract to negotiate, a compliance framework to build, a dispute to manage. Focused support on a defined project, with scope and pricing agreed in advance.

Legal team reinforcement

Temporary integration into your legal department for an activity spike or a cross-functional project. Operational immediately in English, French or Spanish.

International experience serving your day-to-day operations

Built on 15 years of in-house practice with ESA, the OECD, the ITER Organization, CMA CGM and ADP, my approach combines legal rigour with a clear understanding of business constraints. I know what it means to be on the client side, and I structure my support accordingly.

Admitted to the Paris Bar and registered with the Barcelona Bar Association. Barcelona and Paris. French, English, Spanish.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between fractional counsel and a law firm lawyer?

A law firm lawyer generally intervenes on specific matters. Fractional counsel is built around an ongoing relationship, with a deep understanding of your business context, regular availability, and a retainer-based pricing model that adapts to your evolving needs and is more predictable.

From what level of legal need does fractional counsel become relevant?

As soon as you have recurring legal needs, even modest ones, that take up management time or slow down your operations. In practice, companies with 2 to 3 people or more and active commercial activity quickly benefit from structured legal support.

Do you only work in France and Spain?

I am a lawyer admitted to the Paris Bar and registered with the Barcelona Bar Association, covering contracts and compliance matters with a European dimension. I work on matters involving several European countries, international counterparties, or EU regulations that apply regardless of the country of establishment of the counterpart.

What are your fees?

Monthly retainers and project-based work are priced according to the agreed scope. Contact me for a quote tailored to your situation.

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Describe your situation using the form or contact me directly: contact@pslavocat.com · +34 672 939 146