Practice Area
Inhouser
Inhouser is SIGNUM’s flexible and well-established model for ongoing legal support, developed and refined by the firm since 2020. It gives businesses access to an experienced corporate lawyer who works as an extension of the client’s internal team, understands its business, processes and priorities and provides day-to-day legal support as issues arise. Support is provided on a remote (online) basis.
The service is designed both for companies without an internal legal department and for businesses with established legal teams that require additional capacity, specialised expertise or support during periods of increased workload.
Inhouser provides ongoing legal support without the need to expand internal headcount. Depending on the client’s needs, our lawyer can assist with commercial contracts, corporate and regulatory matters, employment, compliance, and other day-to-day legal issues. Where specialist expertise is required, the Inhouser lawyer can draw on the relevant SIGNUM practice teams.
Inhouser is primarily designed to support regular operational legal matters. Matters requiring complex or in-depth legal analysis or specialist expertise may be handled separately by the relevant SIGNUM practice teams on agreed terms.
How We Work
Our objective is to become part of the client’s business processes rather than simply respond to individual legal instructions.
At the outset of the engagement, the Inhouser lawyer develops an understanding of the client’s business model, internal procedures, key contractual arrangements and organisational structure. Depending on the agreed format, the lawyer can be integrated into the client’s day-to-day communications and work directly with management, employees and individual business functions.
This approach enables faster responses to legal matters, commercially informed advice and earlier identification of potential risks.
Flexible Legal Support
The scope and format of the service are tailored to the client’s needs. Inhouser can operate as an outsourced legal function, supplement an existing in-house legal team or provide additional support for specific periods or projects.
Clients receive an agreed level of ongoing legal support and a clear working model while retaining access to the wider expertise of SIGNUM for complex or specialist matters.
Fees
Inhouser is offered under a flexible pricing model designed for recurring legal support and an agreed scope of work.
Matters requiring specialist advice or involvement from other SIGNUM practice teams can be handled separately on agreed terms.
- External Inhouse Counsel – ongoing legal support on corporate, regulatory, employment and other day-to-day matters, including direct interaction with the client’s management and internal business functions.
- External Compliance Counsel – support with corporate compliance, internal policies and procedures, identification of legal risks and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
- External Contracts Counsel – drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements, supporting negotiations with counterparties and managing contractual risks.
Relevant Experience
Provided comprehensive legal support to multinational businesses on strategic projects and day-to-day operational matters, including corporate, regulatory, employment and commercial issues.
Advised management and business functions of international companies on corporate, financial and employment matters and supported the resolution of complex internal issues.
Supported management teams in strategic planning and implementation of key business initiatives.
Represented companies in dealings with government authorities and advised on legal matters arising in the course of ongoing business operations.
Supported an international oil and gas business on a broad range of complex matters, including negotiations with government authorities, regulatory issues, major tax disputes and other matters critical to the continuity of the business.
Advised on employment matters and assisted in resolving disputes and sensitive issues between employers and employees.
Developed and implemented compliance and anti-corruption policies and procedures for multinational businesses, taking into account Kazakhstan law and international standards, including the FCPA.
Adapted global compliance policies and procedures of international groups to Kazakhstan legal requirements and local business operations.
Developed codes of conduct, business conduct standards and other internal compliance documentation.
Managed complex compliance matters and internal concerns, including risk assessment and practical recommendations to management.
Advised management and employees on business ethics, corporate conduct and compliance with internal policies.
Delivered practical training to employees, managers, agents and distributors on compliance, business conduct and legal risk.
Advised on internal reporting channels and other compliance monitoring mechanisms.
Drafted, reviewed and negotiated supply, import and export, consulting, services and other commercial agreements for multinational businesses.
Drafted and negotiated intellectual property, licensing and technology-related agreements.
Advised on and negotiated distribution and franchising agreements.
Prepared contractual documentation for public-private partnerships and other complex commercial projects.
Developed and implemented distributor policies and supported their day-to-day application.
Negotiated non-standard commercial agreements and advised business teams on contractual risk allocation and liability.
Developed and updated standard contract templates for use in companies’ day-to-day operations.
