Virtual Chief Legal Officer (VCLO) Model for MSMEs and Start-Up Companies
Senior legal leadership — without the cost of a full-time in-house counsel. A structured retainer that gives your business a dedicated legal head from day one.
August 2026 · Aequitas Legis Associates
Legal problems are expensive. Preventing them is smarter.
With the Aequitas Legis VCLO model, your business gets the full range of in-house legal functions — on a structured retainer, without adding headcount.
1. How the Engagement is Structured
A Virtual CLO engagement is a continuing retainer under which the firm performs the functions of an in-house legal head without joining the client's payroll. Fees are charged as a fixed monthly retainer against a defined scope and a monthly hour allocation. Work outside that scope is quoted separately before it is undertaken.
Retainers are quoted exclusive of GST and of disbursements.
Contracts & Agreements
From employment contracts to vendor agreements — drafted, reviewed, and maintained.
Legal Reviews
Ensure compliance with expert legal checks across your operations.
Business Consultation
Guidance from experienced corporate lawyers on structure, risk, and growth.
Intellectual Property Protection
Secure trademarks, copyrights, and patents before competitors do.
2. Retainer Tiers
Tier I — Essentials
Micro enterprises, LLPs and early-stage companies; up to 15 personnel; low contract volume; no live transaction.
Tier II — Growth
15–50 personnel; regular vendor and customer contracting; employment documentation in active use; DPDP obligations engaged.
Tier III — Corporate
50–150 personnel; multi-state operations; data-handling business; active IP portfolio; recurring regulatory interface.
Tier IV — Bespoke
Above 150 personnel, regulated sectors, group structures, or companies with international operations. Scoped individually.
Scoped individually — contact us for a tailored proposal.
3. Fixed-Fee Projects
Available standalone or credited against the first three months of a retainer where a retainer follows.
- Legal health check — diagnostic review across entity, contracts, employment, data, IP and sector compliance, with written findings
- DPDP readiness assessment — data mapping, gap analysis, prioritised remediation plan
- DPDP implementation support — notices, consent architecture, processor agreements, breach protocol
- Contract template estate — set of 8 to 10 core templates with drafting notes
- Employment documentation set — appointment, confidentiality, IP assignment, policy handbook
- POSH implementation — policy, IC constitution, training session, first annual return
- Founders' documentation — founders' agreement, vesting, IP assignment, pre-incorporation clean-up
- ESOP scheme documentation and Companies Act formalities
- LLP agreement redraft — exit, deadlock, capital and management provisions
- Vendor MSME status audit — Udyam verification across the vendor master, Section 43B(h) exposure mapping
4. Outside Scope — Separately Instructed
The following are not covered by any retainer tier and are quoted before work begins:
- Litigation, arbitration and tribunal proceedings once instituted
- Transaction work — fundraising, M&A, joint ventures, business transfer
- Regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings
- Registration and prosecution of trade marks, patents and designs
- Specialist tax opinion
- Conveyancing and title work
- Hours beyond the monthly allocation
Unused allocation does not carry forward. Excess hours are billed monthly in arrears against a written time record.
Disbursements — court fees, stamp duty, registration and filing fees, statutory dues, out-of-station travel and accommodation, and third-party professional fees are charged at actuals against supporting documents.
5. Commercial Terms
Conflicts
The firm acts for multiple clients. A conflict protocol is recorded in the engagement letter, covering adjacent and competing mandates and the procedure where a conflict emerges mid-engagement.
Confidentiality and Privilege
Communication routes and document handling are specified in the engagement letter. The firm's advocates are enrolled and in practice; communications are given and received in that capacity.
Ready to Protect Your Business?
Speak with our team to find the right VCLO tier for your company's size and stage. No obligation — just a clear picture of what structured legal support looks like for your business.
Schedule a Consultation