What is fractional leadership for law firms?

Fractional leadership means engaging experienced executives—such as a COO or IT Director—on a part-time basis, typically 2-4 days per month. Your firm gets strategic leadership and accountability without the cost of a full-time hire. The arrangement is flexible and scales with your needs.

What is the difference between a fractional COO and a fractional IT director?

A fractional COO focuses on business operations: strategy execution, process improvement, change management, practice development, and operational efficiency. A fractional IT director focuses on technology: IT strategy, supplier management, infrastructure, security, and technology projects. Some firms need both; others need one or the other depending on where their gaps are.

How much does fractional leadership cost compared to full-time hires?

A full-time COO or IT Director typically costs £80,000-£150,000 annually including benefits. A fractional arrangement at 2-4 days per month provides senior leadership at a fraction of that investment—making executive expertise accessible to firms that don't need or can't justify full-time overhead.

Can we engage both a fractional COO and fractional IT director?

Yes. Some firms engage both roles, particularly during periods of significant change or growth. Allan Carton and Frank Manning work together regularly, ensuring operations and technology strategies are aligned. You can also start with one role and add the other as needs emerge.

How is fractional leadership different from management consulting?

Management consultants typically deliver analysis and recommendations, then move on. Fractional leaders become part of your team on an ongoing basis—attending meetings, managing relationships, overseeing implementation, and taking accountability for outcomes. They're embedded in your firm, not external advisors.

How do you get started with fractional leadership?

We begin with an initial conversation to understand your situation and identify where leadership gaps exist. This is followed by a focused review of your current operations or IT environment. From there, we agree an ongoing arrangement tailored to your firm's priorities and resources.

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Fractional COO and IT director working with UK law firm leadership team in a strategic boardroom meeting

Fractional COO & Fractional IT Director Services

Q: What size law firm benefits from fractional leadership?

Law firms from 20 to 300 people typically benefit most. Smaller firms gain access to senior leadership they couldn't otherwise afford. Mid-sized firms get strategic oversight without full-time salary overhead. Larger firms may use fractional services for interim cover, specific projects, or to supplement existing leadership.

Strategic Operations and Technology Leadership Without Full-Time Overhead

Carton & Co provides fractional leadership services for UK law firms—experienced COOs and IT Directors who work alongside your management team on a flexible, part-time basis. For firms from 20 to 300 people, fractional leadership delivers the strategic capability you need without the overhead of full-time executive hires.

A fractional leader isn't a consultant who delivers a report and leaves. They become part of your leadership team: attending board meetings, managing key relationships, overseeing implementation, and taking accountability for outcomes. We design each engagement around your firm's particular requirements, with the flexibility to adjust as circumstances evolve.

Two Complementary Services

Law firms typically face leadership gaps in two areas: business operations and technology. Some firms need support in one area; others need both. We offer dedicated expertise in each:

Fractional COO — Operations & Practice Leadership

A fractional COO provides strategic operations leadership, working with your managing partner and senior team to ensure the business runs effectively. This includes:

Business strategy and planning: Translating strategic objectives into operational plans with clear accountability

Practice development: Identifying growth opportunities, improving client relationships, and developing new service offerings

Process improvement: Streamlining operations, improving efficiency, and reducing unnecessary friction in how work gets done

Change management: Leading significant initiatives—mergers, office moves, system implementations—with proper planning and stakeholder engagement

Team development: Building capability in business services teams and improving alignment between support functions and fee earners

Business development oversight: Ensuring BD and marketing activities connect to strategic priorities and deliver measurable results

Fractional IT Director — Technology & Infrastructure Leadership

A fractional IT director provides strategic technology leadership, ensuring your IT investments serve business objectives and your technology environment supports the firm's needs. This includes:

IT strategy development: Creating technology roadmaps aligned with business objectives, with clear investment priorities for the next 2-3 years

Supplier management: Managing relationships with MSPs, software vendors, and IT suppliers to ensure service levels are met and contracts deliver value

Board-level IT representation: Attending management meetings to ensure technology considerations are part of strategic decisions, translating technical issues into business language

Technology project oversight: Planning and overseeing projects from infrastructure upgrades to system implementations, ensuring delivery on time and within budget

Security and compliance: Ensuring appropriate cyber security measures, including Cyber Essentials certification and data protection compliance

AI adoption governance: Working with our AI adoption framework to assess tools, implement governance structures, and manage technical integration

Why Law Firms Choose Fractional Leadership

Many law firms face a common challenge: they need senior leadership in operations or technology but can't justify or afford full-time executive hires. A full-time COO or IT Director typically costs £80,000-£150,000 annually including benefits—significant overhead for firms where these functions, while critical, aren't core to fee-earning.

Without dedicated leadership, firms often experience:

Partners spending time on operational or IT matters instead of client work

Strategic initiatives that stall because nobody owns implementation

Suppliers and service providers operating without proper oversight

Technology decisions driven by vendors rather than business needs

No clear voice for operations or technology at board level

Fractional leadership addresses these gaps. You get experienced executives at a fraction of the cost, with the flexibility to increase or decrease involvement as circumstances change.

How Fractional Leadership Differs from Consulting

Fractional leaders are fundamentally different from management consultants or project advisors:

Ongoing relationship, not project-based: We're part of your team for the long term, not delivering recommendations and leaving

Accountable for outcomes: We take responsibility for implementation and results, not just analysis and advice

Embedded in your firm: We attend your meetings, know your people, understand your culture, and work within your context

Independent Perspective We have no arrangements with software vendors, MSPs, or other suppliers—our advice serves only your interests

How a Fractional Leadership Engagement Works

Every engagement begins with understanding your firm's specific situation. Rather than applying a standard template, we work with you to define an arrangement that matches your priorities and resources.

Initial Conversation: We discuss your situation informally to understand where leadership gaps exist and whether fractional support could help.

Focused Review: A short, fixed-price assessment of your current operations or IT environment, resulting in clear findings and recommendations.

Scope Agreement: Based on the review, we agree the scope and frequency of ongoing involvement. Most firms start with 2-4 days per month.

Ongoing Engagement: Your fractional leader becomes part of your team—attending meetings, managing relationships, overseeing projects, and providing strategic direction.

Flexible Arrangement: The arrangement runs on a rolling month-to-month basis. Time can flex up during major projects or down during quieter periods.

Interim Leadership Cover

Beyond ongoing fractional arrangements, we also provide interim cover for:

Gap coverage when a COO or IT Director leaves until a replacement is found

Extended leave periods (maternity, sabbatical, illness)

Supporting a newly appointed leader during their first months

Major initiatives requiring additional leadership capacity

The Carton & Co Team

Frank Manning — Fractional IT Director Lead

Frank is a technology specialist for professional practices with extensive experience in IT strategy, infrastructure, security, and system integration. He leads fractional IT director engagements, providing strategic technology leadership, supplier management, and board-level IT representation. Frank holds Cyber Essentials certifications and provides particular expertise in security compliance, cloud migration, and technology project oversight.

Frank works with a network of technical specialists who can provide additional expertise for specific technologies or complex implementations.

Allan Carton — Fractional COO Lead

Allan is a qualified solicitor with an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School. Since 1990, he has specialised in advising UK law firms on business strategy, operations, client relationships, and practice development. He leads fractional COO engagements, working with managing partners and senior teams on operational effectiveness, strategic planning, and business development. Allan brings an insider's understanding of how law firms work combined with rigorous commercial focus.

Allan brings together a network of experienced associates who can provide additional capacity for specific projects or particular areas of expertise. For example: Dr Lee Williams

Dr Lee Williams — Fractional COO

Lee provides expertise in organisational change and process improvement, supporting both COO and IT director engagements where significant change programmes are involved. He helps firms navigate cultural and operational shifts, builds capability within teams, and ensures new ways of working are properly embedded.

Getting Started

If you're wondering whether your firm could benefit from fractional leadership, let's talk. We're happy to discuss your situation informally before any formal engagement. We'll arrange a no-obligation conversation to understand your situation and explore whether fractional leadership could help.

All conversations are entirely confidential.

Book a Call with Allan Carton here >>

Allan Carton

Email: acarton@cartonconsultants.com

Phone: 07779 653105

Carton & Co - Specialist consultants to law firms and Legal Teams on technology, client relationships, and business development.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What size law firm benefits from fractional leadership?

A: Firms from 20 to 300 people typically benefit most. Smaller firms gain access to senior leadership they couldn't otherwise afford. Mid-sized firms get strategic oversight without full-time salary overhead. Larger firms may use fractional services for interim cover, specific projects, or to supplement existing leadership.

Q: Do we need both a fractional COO and IT director?

A: Not necessarily. Some firms have strong operations but weak IT oversight, or vice versa. We help you identify where the gaps are and focus resources accordingly. Many firms start with one role and add the other later if needed. Where both are engaged, Allan and Frank coordinate closely to ensure operations and technology strategies align.

Q: How much time commitment is typical?

A: Most firms start with 2-4 days per month for each role. This can increase during major projects or significant change programmes, and reduce during quieter periods. The arrangement is designed to flex with your actual needs rather than locking you into fixed commitments.

Q: Who does a fractional leader report to?

A: Typically the Managing Partner, Senior Partner, or Management Board. Fractional leaders need access to strategic decision-makers to be effective—they're providing leadership, not just operational support.

Q: What's the commitment period?

A: After an initial review, we operate on a rolling month-to-month basis. There are no long-term contracts. You continue working with us because the arrangement delivers value, not because you're locked in.

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