By: Daniel Santos, Special Counsel | May 29, 2026
Daniel Santos Helping Healthtech CEOs & GCs move revenue-critical decisions forward under regulatory scrutiny | Former GC & Chief Legal Officer | 20+ Years in Healthcare Law
Legal teams are starting to look very different than they did even 18 months ago.
Same workload. Same regulatory pressure. Same expectations from the business.
But the composition of the team—the way work actually gets done—is shifting fast.
Across healthcare and tech, I’m seeing the same pattern emerge:
Full-time hiring is slowing. Fractional expertise is accelerating.
Not generalists. Not temp attorneys. But highly specialized privacy, employment, regulatory, and product counsel working 10–40 hours per month.
From the outside, it looks like a budget tactic. Inside the organization, it’s something else entirely.
It’s a structural response to four pressures GCs can’t ignore:
→ Hiring freezes that block full-time headcount
→ Niche expertise needed for AI, data residency, ESG, and emerging regs
→ Pressure to reduce outside counsel spend without increasing risk
→ Demand for predictable monthly budgets in a volatile environment
And when you look at how GCs are actually deploying fractional talent, the strategy becomes clearer.
Fractional specialists are filling the gaps that used to fall between full-time hires and BigLaw:
→ Covering emerging regulatory areas where no one wants to over-hire
→ Supporting product launches without long-term commitments
→ Reducing reliance on outside counsel for repeatable, high-volume work
→ Providing expertise that’s too narrow to justify a full-time role
The organizations doing this well aren’t just cutting costs. They’re building a new operating model for legal.
One where the team flexes with the business. One where expertise is modular. One where risk coverage adapts in real time.
The insight:
Fractional talent is becoming the new middle ground between outside counsel and full-time hires.
Not a stopgap. Not a compromise. A deliberate design choice.
If you’re feeling the squeeze between regulatory complexity and headcount constraints, this shift may already be happening around you.
How are you thinking about fractional expertise within your legal operating model?
If you want to talk through how fractional specialists can support your regulatory or product roadmap, I’m happy to connect for a 30-minute discovery call.
This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The discussion of this matter, including the conduct of any individuals involved, is based solely on publicly available information and court filings. Nothing in this post should be interpreted as a statement of fact about any person’s character, intentions, or actions beyond what has been reported in official sources.
The analysis provided reflects general legal principles and commentary and may not apply to any specific situation. Reading this post does not create an attorney-client relationship with the author or their firm. If you have questions about how these issues may affect your organization, you should consult qualified legal counsel.
The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by accessing or using this website. Please consult with a qualified attorney before making any legal decisions. Global Link Law is not liable for any reliance on the information provided. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by accessing or using this website. Please consult with a qualified attorney before making any legal decisions. Global Link Law is not liable for any reliance on the information provided. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
