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Fractional General Counsel Services | Your Part-Time Professional Legal Partner

Strategic legal guidance without the full-time price tag

If you’re managing a small to medium-sized business or steering a growth-oriented enterprise, our Fractional GC service is designed for you. Many founders and SMBs do not have the need or resources for a full-time, in-house General Counsel. Our service fills this gap, providing you with top-tier legal representation without the overhead associated with a full-time hire or the high fees of a large law firm.

What Is a Fractional General Counsel?

Think of me as your part-time legal executive. I become deeply embedded in your business—understanding your goals, knowing your challenges, and anticipating legal issues before they become expensive problems.

Unlike hiring a law firm for one-off projects, I work as an ongoing strategic partner. I’m not just reviewing contracts and putting out fires. I’m helping you build legal frameworks that support your growth, protect your interests, and give you confidence to pursue new opportunities.

The difference is simple: Instead of calling a lawyer when problems arise, you have a trusted legal advisor helping you avoid those problems in the first place.

Who Benefits Most From Fractional GC Services?

This service transforms how small and mid-sized businesses approach legal strategy. You’re an ideal candidate if you:

  • Run a growing company that’s outgrown basic legal needs but can’t justify a full-time General Counsel
  • Make frequent business decisions that have legal implications (partnerships, contracts, expansions)
  • Want proactive legal strategy instead of reactive crisis management
  • Value having a trusted advisor who understands your business deeply
  • Need consistent legal support without the overhead of a full-time hire

Perfect for: Tech startups, manufacturing companies, professional services firms, real estate developers, and any business serious about sustainable growth.

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Suzy C
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Jennifer Settles is an excellent attorney—responsive, knowledgeable, thorough, and easy to work with. She was incredibly quick to understand the facts, issues, and moving parts of my situation, which saved a tremendous amount of time. I was especially impressed by her responsiveness and ability to coordinate seamlessly with the other professionals involved. She communicates effectively with attorneys, accountants, brokers, lenders, and other parties, helping keep everything organized and moving forward. I just highly recommend her - you will be very happy.
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Jay K
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I had a great experience working with Jennifer throughout my transaction. She was responsive, thoughtful, and extremely detail-oriented from start to finish. She did a great job balancing legal protection with keeping the deal moving forward, and consistently gave practical, business-minded advice rather than overcomplicating things. She was thorough in reviewing documents, quick to flag potential issues, and always available when something time-sensitive came up. I’d absolutely recommend her to anyone looking for a strong transactional attorney!
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Brian T
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Have worked with / referred several projects to Jennifer. Have always had a great experience - very knowledgeable, helpful and responsive.
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Peter H
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Jennifer was excellent to work with, I hired her to represent me when I sold my supplement business and she was thorough, detailed and protected my interest from getting taken advantage of. If you have Contract or Business needs I highly recommend you give her a call!
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Nick S
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Jennifer helped us with drafting and understanding the nuances of a Purchase Contract for a small business. She was professional, thorough and efficient. Will both be using and recommending her in the future!
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Conor W
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I have worked with Jennifer for over 4 years and she has been absolutely amazing on everything she has done for us. We are often on tight deadlines for contracts and she delivers what we need unbelievably fast. In our time working with Jennifer, she has assisted in business contracts, real estate agreements, a merger, and general counsel. We are very grateful to have her in our corner!
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Scott H profile picture
Scott H
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Jenny has helped me extensively on both contract law as well as merger and acquisition advice. I know I can count on Jenny for both great advice and a prompt response. She does what she says she will in the time promised, which is super helpful when time is a factor.
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Molly M
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Jennifer was indispensable in helping me complete the acquisition of a small business. With substantial experience representing both buyers and sellers, Jennifer was able to clearly contextualize the seller’s requests and counsel me through negotiations — which was invaluable as a first-time buyer. She was committed, fair, responsive, and deeply knowledgeable throughout the entire process. I’m pleased with the final purchase agreement and ancillary documents, and she continued to provide thoughtful guidance even after closing. I truly couldn’t have done it without her.
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Matthew O
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She is worth re-hiring
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April L profile picture
April L
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Jennifer offered excellent legal support and assistance in representing our business. She was truly professional and very articulate in communicating our needs to the opposing legal counsel. My husband and I would highly recommend her!
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Comprehensive Legal Services Tailored to Your Business

As your Fractional General Counsel, I provide the same strategic legal oversight as a full-time GC, including:

Business Formation & Governance

  • Entity formation and restructuring
  • Corporate governance best practices
  • Board meeting guidance and documentation
  • Shareholder and operating agreements

Contract Strategy & Management

  • Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements
  • Develop standardized contract templates
  • Ongoing contract portfolio management
  • Risk assessment and mitigation strategies

Mergers & Acquisitions Support

  • Due diligence coordination
  • Deal structure optimization
  • Transaction documentation
  • Post-closing integration planning

Strategic Business Guidance

  • Legal risk assessment for new initiatives
  • Regulatory compliance planning
  • Succession planning
  • Real estate leasing, acquisition and sales
  • Borrowing transactions and capital raising

External Counsel Management

  • Coordinate with specialized attorneys
  • Oversee litigation management
  • Control legal costs across all matters
  • Ensure consistent legal strategy

The Fractional GC Advantage: Why This Changes Everything

Predictable Legal Costs

Stop getting surprised by legal bills. Our flexible monthly retainers give you budget certainty while ensuring legal support is always available when you need it.

Deep Business Knowledge

Unlike outside counsel who learn your business project by project, I develop comprehensive understanding of your operations, goals, and challenges. This means faster decisions and more strategic advice.

Proactive Risk Management

Instead of scrambling to find legal help during crises, we identify and address potential issues early. This approach saves money and prevents headaches.

Strategic Partnership

You gain a trusted advisor who thinks like a business owner, not just a lawyer. I help you evaluate opportunities, navigate challenges, and make informed decisions that support your growth.

Immediate Availability

When urgent legal questions arise, you have direct access to someone who already understands your business. No need to bring new attorneys up to speed during critical moments.

Flexible Pricing That Fits Your Business

Hourly Arrangements: Perfect for businesses with occasional but important legal needs.

Monthly Retainer Programs: Ideal for companies requiring ongoing legal support with predictable budgeting.

Custom Packages: Tailored solutions for unique business situations or specific project needs.

We review pricing and scope regularly to ensure our services continue aligning with your business growth and changing needs.

How to Get Started: Your Path to Strategic Legal Partnership

Getting started is straightforward:

  • Step 1: Free Strategy Consultation
    Call (602) 617-3938 to schedule your no-obligation consultation. We’ll discuss your business goals, current legal challenges, and how Fractional GC services can support your growth.
  • Step 2: Customized Proposal
    Based on our discussion, I’ll prepare a detailed proposal outlining recommended services, pricing structure, and engagement timeline.
  • Step 3: Engagement Agreement
    Once you’re ready to move forward, we’ll execute a clear engagement letter that defines our working relationship.
  • Step 4: Strategic Launch
    We’ll begin with a comprehensive business review and strategic planning session, then establish regular check-ins to keep your legal strategy aligned with business objectives.

Ready to Transform Your Legal Strategy?

Don’t treat legal support as an afterthought. Your business deserves proactive legal guidance that supports growth instead of slowing it down.

Schedule your free consultation today:

Jennifer M. Settles, Esq.
Licensed in Arizona and Nevada
25+ years of business law experience
$100+ million in transactions closed since 2020

Your business growth shouldn’t be limited by legal uncertainty. Let’s build the legal foundation your success deserves.