Two Conventional Paths.
Neither Built For Growth.
As businesses grow, legal risk grows with them. Most companies are forced to choose between two traditional models — each with significant trade-offs in cost, coverage, and continuity.
Hire an In-House General Counsel
- · One lawyer, one background
- · No bench strength or flexibility
- · Limited litigation / court experience
- · Fixed cost regardless of workload
- · Paying for availability, not depth
Traditional Toronto Law Firm
- · Billed by hour, not outcomes
- · No incentive to prevent problems
- · Lawyers don't know your business
- · Cost uncertainty discourages use
- · Legal becomes a cost centre to avoid
A Third Model
Built for Modern Business.
Not a lighter version of BigLaw. Not a part-time in-house lawyer. An entirely different model.
Senior Legal Leadership
Managing Partner-level counsel. Knows your business, contracts, risk tolerance, and decision-makers. No ramp-up.
Predictable Monthly Cost
Fixed subscription replaces volatile six-figure bills or $300K+ salaries — with transparent preferred rates for out-of-scope work.
Proactive Strategy
Issues flagged early. Contracts designed, not just reviewed. Disputes managed before they escalate.
Built-In Legal Bench
Litigation, transactions, regulatory, and negotiation capabilities — not limited to one lawyer's background.
Priority Access & Preferred Rates
Priority response and materially reduced rates for emergencies, litigation, and court appearances.
Four Tiers. One Goal.
Match Where You're Going.
Designed to match where your business is today — and where it's heading.
Best for: Solo founders, early-stage startups, consultants
- Contract review & drafting
- Business risk spotting
- Monthly 30-min strategy call
- Unlimited email support
Best for: Growing businesses, incorporated professionals, SMEs
- Contract drafting & negotiation
- Employment advisory
- Compliance oversight
- Annual returns filing (1 corp)
Best for: Scaling companies, multi-entity businesses
- Strategic legal planning
- Monthly 60-min executive call
- Minute book maintenance (up to 2 corps)
- Board & governance advisory
Best for: High-growth, investment-backed, complex operations
- Embedded legal leadership
- M&A, financing, JV planning
- Executive exits & sensitive matters
- Weekly board-level check-ins
Add Operational Leadership
to Any GC Plan.
Best paired with: GC Essentials or GC Growth
- Monthly KPI & metrics review
- Process audit & SOP gaps
- Vendor & supplier cadence
- Founder strategy sessions
Best paired with: GC Growth or GC Pro
- Weekly leadership cadence
- Hiring & onboarding oversight
- Supplier & lease negotiations
- Financial controls review
Best paired with: GC Pro or Fractional CLO
- Embedded fractional COO presence
- Board attendance & reporting
- Transformation & turnaround projects
- Executive recruiting support
Operations services are not legal advice and are governed by a separate engagement letter. Available as an add-on to any GC plan or as a standalone subscription. Three-month minimum.
Trademark advisory · Market entry & exit planning · International trade consultancy · Introduction to funding sources · In-office / on-site strategy session · Leadership & team coaching · Courtroom representation · Franchise setup & advisory · Business succession planning · Commercial lease review · Privacy & data compliance (PIPEDA) · Shareholder agreement drafting · Managing vendor relationships · Negotiating renewals with stakeholders · Real estate transactions · Immigration · LMIA, work permit & immigration compliance
Standard
Across All Plans.
- › No surprise billing
- › Scope confirmed before work begins
- › Priority scheduling over non-subscribers
- › Ability to convert crises into subscriptions
Materially Below
Ontario Market.
Active GC subscribers only
| GC Essentials | $450/hr |
| GC Growth | $400/hr |
| GC Pro | $350/hr |
| Fractional CLO | $300/hr |
| GC Essentials | $425/hr |
| GC Growth | $375/hr |
| GC Pro | $325/hr |
| Fractional CLO | $275/hr |
| Tier | Short (≤1hr) | Half Day | Full Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| GC Essentials | $1,250 | $2,750 | $4,500 |
| GC Growth | $1,000 | $2,250 | $3,750 |
| GC Pro | $850 | $1,950 | $3,250 |
| Fractional CLO | $750 | $1,750 | $2,950 |
M&A · asset sales · financings · restructurings · joint ventures · complex shareholder arrangements
Built for the Companies
Most Firms Aren't Built For.
Founders & Executive Teams
Growing companies needing legal embedded in the leadership decision loop.
Scaling SMEs
Businesses outgrowing hourly legal with regular, predictable legal needs.
Professional Services Firms
Incorporated professionals with employment, compliance, and contract exposure.
Real Estate & Tech Companies
Deal-heavy or IP-intensive businesses needing strategic transactional support.
Companies Avoiding Full-Time GC
Not ready — or not willing — to absorb $300K+ in full-time GC overhead.
What Owners and Operators
Usually Ask Us First.
Straight answers on the model, the math, the coverage, and what to do if none of the tiers fit.
What does “fractional” actually mean?
A fractional executive is a senior leader you retain for a defined slice of their time — on a recurring monthly basis — instead of hiring them full-time. You get the experience, judgment, and accountability of a senior in-house hire, sized to what your business actually needs today, and scalable as you grow.
How much can I save versus hiring full-time?
A full-time General Counsel in Canada typically costs $200,000–$300,000+ per year in base salary alone, before benefits, bonus, recruitment, and overhead — often $280k–$400k all-in. Our GC subscriptions start at $1,500/month ($18,000/year), delivering senior-level legal leadership at a fraction of the cost — with the entire firm standing behind your single point of contact.
Who is this built for?
Founders, owner-operators, and growing SMEs that have outgrown ad-hoc external lawyers but aren’t ready — or don’t need — a six-figure full-time hire. Typical clients are revenue-generating businesses managing contracts, vendors, employees, IP, regulatory exposure, or active growth, expansion, or fundraising.
Is this just one lawyer, or the whole firm?
The whole firm. You get a dedicated point of contact who knows your business, but every Lexaltico practice area — corporate, commercial litigation, estates, restructuring, employment, IP, regulatory — is on call behind them. You’re never stuck waiting for one person, and you never pay separately to bring in a specialist on your own matter.
What’s included in my monthly hours — and what if I exceed them?
Each tier includes a defined block of advisory and drafting hours covering contracts, negotiations, employment, vendor matters, governance, and day-to-day questions. If you exceed your hours, work continues at your tier’s preferred rate — significantly below our standard rates — with full transparency before anything is billed.
What happens if I get sued or face an emergency?
You get priority response, a co-ordinated litigation team, and materially preferred rates for emergencies, disputes, and court appearances. Subscribers are first in the queue — we triage, contain the issue, and brief you on options within hours, not days.
Is there a minimum commitment? Can I switch tiers?
A three-month minimum lets us properly onboard, learn your business, and deliver real value. After that, you can upgrade, downgrade, or pause with 30 days’ notice. Most clients move up tiers as their business grows.
How does the Fractional COO add-on actually work?
Our business advisory team plugs in alongside your GC engagement to run the operational side: process design, vendor and supplier management, hiring frameworks, KPIs and dashboards, financial controls, and growth execution. You get an experienced operator embedded in your business — weekly cadence, monthly reporting, real accountability — without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire.
Do I have to subscribe to a GC plan to get the COO service?
No. The Operations service is available as a bolt-on to any GC tier or as a standalone subscription. Most clients combine the two because legal and operational risk live next door to each other — but you’re free to start with whichever you need first.
What does a fractional COO cost compared to a full-time hire?
A full-time COO in Canada commonly runs $200,000–$350,000+ in base compensation, plus equity, bonus, and benefits. Our Operations subscriptions start at +$1,500/month and scale with the depth of involvement you need — senior operator capability without the headcount, recruitment risk, or long-term overhead.
How quickly can we start?
Most engagements begin within 5–10 business days of a discovery call. We run a structured intake to understand your business, current contracts, exposures, and priorities — then issue an engagement letter and assign your team.
Is everything covered by solicitor–client privilege?
Yes, for legal matters. The GC subscription is a true legal engagement governed by Law Society of Ontario rules, and your communications with our lawyers are privileged and confidential. Operational advice from our business advisory team is governed by a separate engagement letter and a strict NDA.
Custom plans and bespoke solutions — on request.
If none of the tiers above match your situation, talk to us. Multi-entity groups, regulated industries, complex transactions, international structures, family enterprises — we build bespoke engagements around your business. If you don’t see what you need, we customize.
The full firm behind you.
A specialist-powered GC for the new age.
One subscription. One coordinated team. The complete capability of Lexaltico LLP — litigators, corporate counsel, estates, restructuring, and operations specialists — standing behind a single point of contact who knows your business.