Interim legal counsel: tasks, requirements and pay

Short answer: An interim legal counsel works in a company's legal department for a few weeks to several months, typically to cover a vacancy, parental leave or a project. To become an interim legal counsel, you usually need a law degree and in-house or law firm experience. Pay depends on the engagement model, seniority, practice area and workload.

This guide is for lawyers in Switzerland and Germany who want to work as interim legal counsel, whether as a first step, a bridge between roles or a long-term career. It covers the tasks, typical assignments, requirements, the two engagement models and what drives pay.

What does an interim legal counsel do?

An interim legal counsel does the same work as a permanent legal counsel, but for a defined period and with a clear brief. You sit in the client's legal team, report to the head of legal or general counsel and are expected to be productive from day one.

Typical tasks include:

• Contracts: drafting, reviewing and negotiating customer, supplier, IT and partnership agreements.
• Business advice: supporting business units with day-to-day legal questions.
• Corporate housekeeping and governance: resolutions, minutes and group entities.
• Projects: transactions, restructurings, contract remediation or rolling out new templates.
• Managing law firms: instructing and briefing outside counsel and reviewing their work.

The client directs the work. You decide within the agreed scope, and the legal department keeps overall responsibility.

Typical assignments and how long they last

Interim legal counsel assignments usually run for a few weeks to several months and are often extended. The reason for the assignment shapes its length, workload and the profile required.

An example from practice: an international industrial company in Germany brought in a senior legal counsel to cover parental leave for nine months, including a one-month handover, full time under staff leasing. The legal department stayed fully operational.

Requirements: education, experience and languages

Above all, clients expect an interim legal counsel to work independently with minimal onboarding. Requirements rise with seniority.

• Education: a completed law degree is standard – in Switzerland usually a Master of Law, in Germany often both state examinations. A bar admission or doctorate is mainly expected for senior roles.
• Experience: at Alpinum, junior means 0–2 years, experienced 3–6 years and senior 7 years or more. Most interim assignments are at experienced level.
• In-house exposure: experience in a legal department helps. Lawyers moving from private practice bring depth and contract routine.
• Languages: German and English are almost always required. In Switzerland, French or Italian may be needed depending on region and company.
• Working style: prioritising quickly, documenting cleanly and leaving an orderly handover.

For tips on presenting your experience, see profile and CV for interim assignments.

Staff leasing or freelancing?

Interim legal counsel work either as employees under staff leasing or as self-employed freelancers. Both models are available part time or full time, with a workload between 20 and 100%.

• Staff leasing: you are employed by the staffing provider and integrated into the client's legal team. The client directs your work. In Germany the model is called Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (temporary agency work); in Switzerland, Personalverleih (Swiss staff leasing).
• Freelancing: you deliver your services independently within the agreed mandate and handle your own social security and pension.

Two legal points are worth knowing. In Germany, a lawyer working under Arbeitnehmerüberlassung cannot be admitted as in-house counsel with bar status (Syndikusrechtsanwalt) for that assignment (Federal Court of Justice, judgment of 20 March 2023 – AnwZ (Brfg) 12/21). In Switzerland, entry in the cantonal bar register requires independence; registered lawyers may only be employed by persons who are themselves registered (Art. 8(1)(d) BGFA, the Swiss Lawyers Act). Interim legal counsel therefore advise internally and generally do not act as external advocates. For a deeper comparison, read freelancing or employment under staff leasing.

Pay: what determines it

Pay as an interim legal counsel depends first on the engagement model, then on seniority, practice area, languages and workload. Actual amounts are agreed per assignment.

Under staff leasing in Germany, placed professionals are in principle entitled to the same pay as comparable employees of the client (equal pay, § 8(1) AÜG). A collective agreement may deviate, but for pay usually only during the first nine months. Alpinum Solutions GmbH applies the collective agreements of the DGB/GVP bargaining group. In Switzerland, the pay rules of a client's generally binding collective labour agreement also apply to staff leasing (Art. 20 AVG). For more on salary and social security, see staff leasing from the professional's perspective.

How to find interim legal counsel assignments

Most assignments come through specialist providers and your own network. The better prepared you are, the faster you are put forward.

1. Sharpen your profile: list practice areas, industries, contract types and the systems you have used.
2. Decide on model and workload: staff leasing or freelancing, part time or full time, on site or hybrid.
3. State your availability: many assignments start at short notice, so a clear start date helps.
4. Register your profile: on AlpinumHub you can see open assignments and keep your details up to date.
5. Prepare for the briefing: expect questions about your role on past assignments, how you onboard and how you hand over.

For the first steps into project work, read interim and project work for lawyers.

FAQs about working as an interim legal counsel

How do I become an interim legal counsel?

You need a law degree, a few years of experience in a legal department or law firm and a clear profile. Decide which practice areas, model and workload you offer, then register with a specialist provider. Many lawyers land their first assignment through leave cover or a peak workload, where solid contract routine matters most.

Do I need to be admitted to the bar?

Not for every role. In Germany many clients expect both state examinations, and in Switzerland a Master of Law; bar admission is mainly required for senior and leadership roles. For contract work and projects, hands-on experience often counts for more. What matters is the profile requested for the specific assignment.

How long do interim legal counsel assignments last?

Usually a few weeks to several months. Vacancies and peak workloads tend to be shorter, while leave cover and projects run longer, and many assignments are extended. In Germany, placing the same person with the same client is generally limited to 18 consecutive months (§ 1(1b) AÜG), so longer assignments are planned around that limit.

Will I be employed or self-employed?

That depends on the model. Under staff leasing you are employed by the staffing provider, with salary and social security. As a freelancer you work on your own account. In Switzerland, the AHV compensation office decides case by case whether you are self-employed; in Germany, a status determination procedure provides certainty (§ 7a SGB IV).

What happens between assignments?

Plan your next assignment early, ideally a few weeks before the current one ends, and keep your availability up to date. As a freelancer you bridge gaps yourself, so your rate should allow for them. Sometimes an assignment turns into a permanent role: a move into the client's team (temp-to-perm) is possible, with terms agreed in advance.

How much does a legal counsel earn?

That depends on the model, level and country; Alpinum does not publish salaries for permanent roles. Under staff leasing you receive a salary agreed for each assignment; as a freelancer you invoice your own rate. As a guide, companies pay Alpinum CHF 800–1,200 per day in Switzerland and EUR 960–1,360 per day for freelancing in Germany for experienced profiles (3–6 years), excluding VAT, as of 18 October 2026. These client rates also cover the provider's services and are not the same as your salary or fee.

Next step

Alpinum Solutions is the leading provider of interim legal & compliance in Switzerland and Germany, placing legal counsel from junior to senior level through staff leasing and freelancing. Register your profile with your practice areas, languages and availability.

• Careers: open legal and compliance assignments
• Interim compliance officer: tasks, requirements and pay
• Becoming an interim head of legal
• For candidates: all career and interim guides

Last updated: 11 November 2026.