In an exclusive interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Mark Leung, CEO of Interhouse, shares how his firm embeds legal expertise into client teams, turning legal from a cost center into a strategic advantage. He discusses building collaborative, empathetic legal support and how entrepreneurs can leverage proactive legal guidance to grow with confidence.
Mark Leung is the Founder and CEO of Interhouse, a modern fractional in-house legal firm that helps high-growth companies access embedded and experienced legal support without the overhead of full-time hires. With over 15 years of experience as both a private practice lawyer and an in-house legal counsel across multiple industries, Mark brings a rare blend of legal precision, business insight, and human-centered leadership.
Interview By Kripa Anand
He has built, scaled, and led legal teams, teaches business law at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, and is a proud and active community leader within the fast-growing non-profit society, FACL BC. Mark’s mission is to redefine what great “Legal” looks and feels like for clients, teams, and the broader legal profession.
What inspired you to launch Interhouse, and how did your experience as both a private-practice and in-house lawyer inform your vision for fractional legal services?
Interhouse was born out of spending over 13 years in both private practice and as in-house counsel. In that time, I saw firsthand that many high-growth companies were being underserved (and overcharged) by traditional law firms, who were too far removed from the daily realities of business to provide (and implement) pragmatic solutions. On the other hand, the option of hiring full-time legal resources were often impractical due to high fixed costs and a time-intensive hiring process. All the while, I saw an increasing number of talented lawyers craving something different, namely work that was more aligned with their personal lives.
I launched Interhouse to reimagine what “in-house” legal could look and feel like. We provide embedded and experienced fractional legal support that operates like a true part of a client’s team, but without the overhead of a full-time hire. We ditch the billable hour, show up in Teams (or Slack!), and help our clients navigate everything from commercial contracts to AI agreements with clarity and confidence.
My in-house experience taught me that the legal department (i.e., “Legal”) doesn’t live in a vacuum. Great legal support must be business-specific, collaborative, and strategic. At Interhouse, we don’t just offer legal advice, we co-create business solutions.
The Interhouse model is about more than just efficiency. It’s about redefining how Legal shows up, namely serving our clients with integrity, being intentional as trusted legal advisors, and functioning as an integrated business solution.
Many startups and SMBs view legal as a cost center or a last resort. What are some of the biggest misconceptions you’ve encountered among small businesses about legal support, and how does Interhouse help demystify these perceptions?
One of the most common myths is that Legal is only there to say “no” or to clean up messes after the fact. Another? That Legal is too expensive or too complicated (or difficult) to deal with, especially in the early stages of a company.
These misconceptions often lead to founders avoiding dealing with legal issues altogether until something breaks. But by then, the stakes (and costs) are higher.
At Interhouse, we reframe Legal as a strategic advantage, not a sunk cost. We help clients lay the right foundation early on, so they can grow with fewer roadblocks. From building standard form contracts, to navigating employment issues, to compliance with privacy laws, we provide scalable support that evolves with our clients’ needs.
“The Interhouse model is about more than just efficiency. It’s about redefining how Legal shows up, namely serving our clients with integrity, being intentional as trusted legal advisors, and functioning as an integrated business solution.“
Our model also removes barriers to access. No billable hours (unless our clients prefer them). No meaningless jargon. Just strategic Legal that unblocks, and even builds, business.
By being part of our clients’ operations, not sitting on the sidelines, we unlock what Legal can be and do. We show founders that Legal doesn’t need to be feared or delayed. It can be a proactive, and powerful, part of their business plan.
Legal isn’t just about protecting value. Done right, it creates it.
Interhouse emphasizes embedding legal expertise as a true part of client teams. How do you and your team ensure that legal counsel genuinely feels like a business partner, not just an external advisor?
At Interhouse, we’re fractional in time, but all-in in presence.
Our lawyers embed into client teams from day one. That means sitting in on standups, joining strategy calls, answering Slack messages in real time – basically integrating into the fabric of the business like any critical employee of an organization would.
This proximity matters. It builds context, trust, and understanding, so when legal input is needed, it’s timely, relevant, and business-minded.
We also hire for more than just legal acumen. Everyone on our team has a “T-shaped” profile: deep legal expertise, but also wide-ranging experience in business, people leadership, and creative problem-solving. Our lawyers don’t just give technical advice, they help clients navigate decisions with nuance and clarity.
And finally, we lead with empathy. Many of our clients are scaling fast and dealing with ambiguity. Our job is to show up with steadiness and care, making the complex feel accessible, and offering solutions that support momentum, not stall it.
Our clients tell us, again and again, that we don’t feel like “a law firm.” And that’s exactly the point. We’re not on the sidelines, we’re in the trenches (and in boardrooms) with them.
As you grow a modern legal startup, what lessons have you learned about leadership and building an empathetic, collaborative culture—especially in an industry not traditionally known for these qualities?
As a lawyer with over 15 years of experience, it has been incredibly sad (and frustrating) to have seen so many law firms struggle with corporate culture, employee satisfaction, and retaining talent.
So when I started Interhouse, I saw it as an incredible opportunity to create something that I believe the legal profession desperately needs – a way of practicing law that brings balance to our professional ambitions and our personal wants and needs.
In that regard, leadership is simple in concept – that is, having the courage to be the change you want to see in the world – but difficult in practice.
But what that means is that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. Rather, it’s about creating safe spaces – where ideas can fail or iterate, where methods can be tested and refined, where people can show up authentically and flourish.
When my team and I recognize that we are the authors of our own stories and the architects of our own space, then it’s our responsibility to be intentional with each other and our own legal practices. So empathy is our anchor. Whether it’s weekly (or even daily!) check-ins, open feedback loops, and a culture where kindness matters as much as technical excellence, Interhouse is not a singular dream, but a collective vision. Our first team lunch may not have made headlines, but it set the tone: we’re building, together.
I’ve also learned that culture isn’t just “nice to have”, it’s a strategic asset. A joyful, collaborative team delivers better work. Period.
And perhaps most humbling of all: success isn’t the outcome. It’s the journey. The people. The conversations. The small moments of growth.
My favourite reminder sits on my desk: a “Creativity” award I once received at a former job, voted by colleagues. It affirmed something I long felt but rarely voiced: that maybe, just maybe, I was building a different kind of legal path.
Now I get to walk that path with people who believe in it too.
Finally, what advice would you offer entrepreneurial leaders navigating legal challenges for the first time, and how can they rethink legal as a strategic advantage rather than an obstacle?
Too often, founders delay legal support until something goes wrong. But by then, it’s usually more expensive, more complicated, and more stressful.
If you’re navigating Legal for the first time, you’re not alone, and you’re not expected to have all the answers. My advice is to start with a shift to your mindset: Legal isn’t a cost or an inconvenience. It’s not even a “lawyer”. It’s a person. A person who has repeatedly (and successfully) done what you need to get done, now. Getting basic legal building blocks in place, like clean contracts, founder agreements, IP protection, privacy compliance, can save you real pain later on. When done right, it actually helps you move faster and with more confidence.
At Interhouse, Legal is not a “nice to have” – it’s a strategic solution for your business problems. Any AI tool can tell you what you can’t do. A lawyer can even tell you how to get something done. But at Interhouse, we will get you where you need to go or where you want to be, all in a way that is aligned, and integrated, with your business.
At Interhouse, your Legal is here.
Disclaimer:
The opinions shared in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. The content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal or business advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with qualified professionals for specific guidance. CanadianSME celebrates diverse perspectives empowering small and medium-sized business success across Canada.
