i3legal
[noun]
senior commercial legal counsel for growing businesses — embedded as ongoing counsel or instructed for individual matters. A working relationship built around how your company actually operates.
Our approach
i3legal was established to give growing businesses access to senior commercial counsel without the cost or rigidity of a full-time legal hire.
Our approach is shaped by more than twenty years’ senior commercial experience — in private practice and in-house, including running the legal function of a European IT group across multiple jurisdictions. In-house, legal advice is judged by a different standard: not simply whether it is technically correct, but whether it moves the business forward. It needs to arrive on time, in plain language, with a clear recommendation, from someone who understands what the business is actually trying to achieve.
That is the standard we work to. Every engagement is led by senior commercial counsel, supported by specialist capability (including employment) within the team, and by trusted external specialists when a matter requires regulated or contentious expertise.
How we work
We work with clients in two ways.
For most ongoing needs we operate on a fractional basis: senior counsel working with your business for an agreed amount of time each month, integrated into your team and focused on your commercial reality.
For single matters, or work that does not recur, we are instructed on an hourly basis, with the rate agreed before work begins.
You choose the arrangement that suits you, and it can change as your business does. This is a working legal relationship — not a helpline and not a traditional retainer.
Who we work with
Established and operating businesses
Past the early stages, with real revenue, active contracts and legal exposure that needs managing properly.
Companies with ongoing legal needs
Recurring work across commercial agreements, employment, governance or corporate matters that benefits from continuity and context.
Businesses in complex or fast-moving environments
Including software, engineering, energy, construction, professional services and regulated technology.
What you can expect
Senior counsel who know your business
Senior commercial counsel with a genuine understanding of how your business operates, giving practical advice grounded in commercial reality.
Continuity
Your lead counsel stays with you, bringing in specialist support under the same relationship when a matter calls for it.
Work to a high standard
Documents drafted and reviewed properly, with risk identified proactively rather than after the event.
Clear, predictable cost
Fixed monthly fees for ongoing counsel or agreed hourly rates for specific matters, with the flexibility to scale support up or down as your needs change.
Curious whether this could work for your business?
The model is straightforward, but every business is different. A short conversation is usually enough to know if i3legal is the right fit — and if it isn’t, we’ll tell you.