Commercial Lawyers for Fractional CFOs
Engagement terms for your own practice, and a commercial legal partner for your clients: shareholder agreements, funding documents, contract reviews and compliance.
Know what you need? Request a fixed-fee quote and upload your documents. Not sure of scope? Book a short call with a senior lawyer instead.
Who we help
Fractional CFOs sit closer to the commercial decisions than almost any other adviser. You see the shareholder tension before it becomes a dispute, the customer contract with the uncapped indemnity, the funding round that needs paperwork, and the employment arrangement that was never documented properly.
Envision Legal works with fractional CFOs on both sides. For your own practice: engagement terms with proper scope, exclusions and liability limits, contractor and subcontractor arrangements, professional indemnity considerations and IP ownership of your frameworks and models. For your clients: shareholder agreements, funding and convertible documents, contract reviews, employment documents and compliance work.
The model is a natural fit — a fractional CFO and a fractional general counsel cover finance and legal without either becoming a full-time hire. We do not provide accounting or CFO services, so there is no competitive overlap.
How we help
Legal services we provide
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Your engagement terms
Fractional CFO engagement agreements with clear scope, exclusions, reliance limits, liability caps and termination terms.
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Contractor and associate arrangements
Subcontractor and associate agreements, confidentiality, IP ownership of models and frameworks, and classification risk.
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Shareholder and founder agreements for clients
Ownership, vesting, decision-making, deadlock and exit terms — usually the first document a CFO finds missing.
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Funding and capital documents
SAFEs, convertible notes, priced-round and shareholder loan documentation.
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Customer and supplier contract review
Indemnities, liability caps, payment terms, termination and unfair contract terms exposure.
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Employment and incentive documents
Contracts, restraints, contractor classification, and equity or phantom incentive arrangements.
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Fractional general counsel alongside you
A monthly legal retainer that mirrors your own model for clients with steady legal flow.
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Compliance and regulatory review
Privacy, AML/CTF, licensing and industry-specific compliance where a client's growth outpaces its paperwork.
Common legal issues
Situations we are usually brought in on
“You inherit a business with two shareholders and no agreement.”
Nothing governs deadlock, exit or valuation. A shareholders agreement done early is far cheaper than the dispute it prevents.
“A client's largest customer contract carries an uncapped indemnity.”
You spot it in the numbers; the fix is legal drafting. A short fixed-fee review gives the client a redline and a negotiating position.
“A raise is imminent and the cap table is informal.”
Founder IP assignments, share issues, option promises made by email and missing consents all surface in diligence. Cleaning up first protects valuation.
“Your own engagement letter is a two-page template.”
Scope and liability wording is what protects you when a client challenges advice years later.
“A client wants both finance and legal support without hiring.”
A fractional CFO plus a fractional general counsel gives them senior coverage on both sides at predictable cost.
Documents we can help with
- Fractional CFO engagement agreement and standard terms
- Subcontractor and associate agreements
- Confidentiality and IP assignment deeds
- Shareholders agreement and constitution amendments
- SAFEs, convertible notes and shareholder loan agreements
- Customer and supplier contract templates
- Employment contracts, restraints and incentive documents
- Privacy policy and compliance documentation
When to involve a commercial lawyer
- Before issuing new engagement terms for your practice
- As soon as a client has two or more owners and no agreement
- Before a raise, sale or bank facility where diligence is likely
- When a client contract carries uncapped risk or unclear termination
- When engaging associates or subcontractors under your brand
- When a client's legal flow justifies an ongoing retainer
Why Envision Legal
Commercial context, not just legal risk
- Senior commercial lawyers do the work — you deal directly with the person advising you, not a rotating cast of juniors.
- Our lawyers have worked inside businesses as well as in law firms, so advice is framed around the commercial decision, not just the legal risk.
- Fixed fees for scoped work, agreed before we start, so legal spend is predictable.
- Plain-English drafting and advice that your team and your customers can actually use.
- A technology-enabled service model — secure document upload, client portal and fast turnaround — without the overhead of a large firm.
- Ongoing support is available through fractional general counsel arrangements when a business needs more than one-off documents.
Related legal services
FAQs
- Do you compete with fractional CFOs?
- No. We provide legal services only. The finance function stays with you and we handle the legal documents and advice.
- Can we work together on the same client?
- Yes, and it works well. With the client's consent we keep you in the loop on scope and progress so the finance and legal picture stays aligned.
- Can you review my own engagement terms?
- Yes. Scope, exclusions, reliance and liability wording is a short fixed-fee engagement and materially reduces your exposure.
- Do you offer a retainer like a fractional CFO does?
- Yes — fractional general counsel is a monthly legal retainer with an agreed scope, which is the closest legal equivalent to what you offer.
- How are fees quoted?
- Fixed fee in writing before work starts, for both your practice and client matters.
Talk to us
Want a legal partner alongside your fractional CFO practice?
Send us a note about what you're working on. We'll respond within one business day and, if we're a fit, book a free 15-minute consultation with a senior lawyer.