Fractional General Counsel · La Grange, Illinois

Legal leadership that moves at the speed of your business.

Claire Eagan delivers senior General Counsel-level strategy to founders and growing businesses — embedded in your team, built into your decisions, without the cost of a full-time hire.

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14+Years in-house & law firm experience

$750MValuation led through as GC

$450M+in financing supported

Regulatory experience in the US and EU/UK

What is a Fractional General Counsel?

A fractional GC is your on-call legal leader—providing strategic legal guidance, managing risk, negotiating deals, and building scalable processes without the cost of a full-time General Counsel.

Senior-level counsel, part-time cost
Flexible, as-needed time blocks
Legal strategy tailored to your risk tolerance

Why Fractional GC

The best of both worlds — without the overhead.

Hiring a full-time General Counsel is expensive and, for many startups, premature. Traditional outside counsel bills by the hour and rarely learns your business deeply enough to move fast. A fractional GC closes that gap.

	In-House GC	Outside Counsel	Eagan Legal PLLC
Cost	Full salary + benefits ($300K–$450K/yr + equity)	Hourly billing ($500–$800/hr, unpredictable)	Fixed monthly retainer, no equity dilution
Business Knowledge	Deep — embedded full-time	Limited — matter-by-matter	Deep — embedded in your team and strategy
Availability	Full-time, one company only	Available, but billing by the hour	Dedicated hours, responsive SLAs
Strategic Role	Proactive — in every leadership conversation	Reactive — called when needed	Proactive — strategic partner, not just a vendor
Best For	Companies with $50M+ revenue or post-Series B	One-off matters or litigation	Startups and growing businesses that need senior legal leadership without the full-time cost

Practice Areas

Full-spectrum legal leadership, scoped to what you need now.

From day-to-day contracts to board-level strategy, Eagan Legal covers the ground a growing company actually needs — nothing more, nothing less.

Strategic & Corporate

Corporate Governance & Board Advisory

Entity structure, board and committee support, corporate secretary functions, and governance frameworks that scale with you.

Intellectual Property Strategy

IP strategy committees, invention mining, patent and trademark oversight aligned with engineering and business objectives.

Legal Playbooks & Team Enablement

Practical playbooks and decision frameworks that empower your team to move on routine matters without waiting on legal for every step.

Deals & Commercial

Commercial Contracts & Transactions

Drafting, negotiating, and standardizing B2B agreements that protect your business without slowing your deals.

Outside Counsel & Vendor Management

Selecting and overseeing outside counsel and subject-matter experts — managing budgets, timelines, and deliverables so specialized work stays on track and on cost.

Litigation Strategy & Risk Management

Litigation oversight and data-driven strategy that reduces exposure and defense spend.

Emerging Technology & Product

AI Governance & Emerging Technology

AI usage guidelines, responsible-AI frameworks, and governance playbooks that translate technical risk into practical guidance.

Product Counsel & Regulatory Strategy

Embedding legal review into product development, from concept through launch, and building regulatory strategy from scratch in emerging industries.

Credentials

J.D., The John Marshall Law School (2011)
B.A. Political Science, College of Charleston
Illinois State Bar, 2011–Present
The John Marshall Law Review
NAMWOLF Diversity Initiative Award Nominee

Who Is Claire

A business-first lawyer who helps you move quickly, with confidence.

I'm a business-first lawyer who helps fast-moving companies solve hard problems with practical, no-nonsense legal guidance. I specialize in cutting through complexity, anticipating risk, and giving teams clear answers so they can move quickly and confidently.

With 14+ years leading legal functions for global tech and mobility companies, I've handled everything from corporate governance and fundraising to product launches, regulatory strategy, IP creation, and high-stakes litigation. I know how to embed with your team, understand your business fast, and build the legal foundations that support growth — not block it.

My approach is simple: strategic thinking, practical solutions, and legal advice that accelerates your business.

I've served as a trusted strategic partner to CEOs, product leaders, engineering teams, and boards — leading legal strategy for an autonomous vehicle technology company from startup through a $750M valuation, and building Uber's first Product & Strategy legal function from the ground up. My work has spanned corporate governance, compliance, product counsel, regulatory strategy, commercial transactions, IP creation, and scaling operational frameworks across multiple jurisdictions.

Solutions-drivenCreativity, clarity, and business impact over legalese.

Operator's mindsetYears supporting fast-moving tech and mobility companies.

Global & cross-functionalRegulatory expertise across the US and international markets.

User-experience focusedLegal requirements that support customer trust, not hinder it.

How It Works

Getting started is simple.

No lengthy RFPs, no bloated retainers to negotiate — just a clear path to embedded legal support.

Introductory Call

A no-pressure conversation about your business, your stage, and where legal support is needed most.

Scope & Fit

We define the scope — a single project, a time-blocked retainer, or ongoing embedded support — matched to your risk tolerance and budget.

Embed & Learn

I get up to speed on your business fast, integrating with your team, leadership, and existing processes.

Ongoing Partnership

Practical, responsive counsel that flexes as your company grows — anticipating risk before it becomes a problem.

Thought Leadership

Speaking & Industry Engagements

Regularly invited to share perspective on legal innovation, emerging technology risk, and leadership.

Claire speaks nationally on emerging technology, risk management, and legal leadership — with recent appearances including:

2025

Confronting the Unknown: Developing Robust Risk Management Frameworks for Emerging Technologies

Women, Influence & Power in Law Annual Conference

2025

Insurance Models: Assessing Risk in New Mobility Technology

MOVE America

2024

Driverless Vehicles: How is Global Regulation Developing

MOVE America

2023

Emerging Issues in Product Liability for Platforms

Marketplace Risk Management Conference

2022

The Leader of Today: Being an Effective & Empathetic Communicator

Women, Influence & Power in Law Annual Conference

2022

Insights from Minority and Women-Owned Legal Firms and the In-House Teams That Hire Them

NAMWOLF Annual Conference

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a fractional General Counsel?+

A fractional GC is an experienced attorney who provides General Counsel-level legal services on a part-time, as-needed basis — as a 1099 contractor rather than a full-time employee. You get senior legal judgment and embedded support without the cost of a full-time hire.

How much time will you spend with my company?+

It depends on your needs. Engagements range from a few hours a month for a single project to regular weekly time blocks for ongoing, embedded support. We'll agree on a scope that fits your stage and budget, and can adjust it as your company grows.

What industries and company stages do you work with?+

Eagan Legal works with founders, entrepreneurs, and growing businesses across industries — from early-stage startups to established companies with $30M+ in revenue. While Claire's background includes deep experience in high-growth technology and mobility companies, the strategic, operational, and commercial legal work she does is relevant to any business navigating growth, transactions, hiring, risk, or regulatory complexity.

Do you work with companies outside Illinois?+

Yes. Eagan Legal is based in La Grange, Illinois, and I'm licensed in Illinois, but fractional GC work is largely jurisdiction-agnostic strategic and business counsel. I regularly coordinate with local licensed counsel where matter-specific admission is required.

How is this different from hiring a traditional law firm?+

Traditional outside counsel is typically engaged matter-by-matter and bills hourly without deep familiarity with your business. A fractional GC is embedded with your team, learns your risk tolerance, and provides continuous, proactive guidance — closer to an in-house hire than a law firm engagement.

How do we get started?+

Reach out at claire@eagan.legal to schedule an introductory call. We'll talk through your business and current legal needs, and outline a scope that makes sense.