diff --git a/portal/src/components/corporate/InstitutionalComplianceHub.tsx b/portal/src/components/corporate/InstitutionalComplianceHub.tsx
index 3bfd9ae..8ffb854 100644
--- a/portal/src/components/corporate/InstitutionalComplianceHub.tsx
+++ b/portal/src/components/corporate/InstitutionalComplianceHub.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-import { ArrowRight, Building2, Globe2, Scale, ShieldAlert } from 'lucide-react';
+import { ArrowRight, Building2, FileText, Globe2, Scale, ShieldAlert } from 'lucide-react';
 import Link from 'next/link';
 
 import {
   institutionalUx,
   jurisdictionStatusClass,
+  type InstitutionalPortal,
   type JurisdictionCard,
   type LegalTrack,
   type OnboardingStep,
@@ -13,6 +14,9 @@ export function InstitutionalComplianceHub() {
   const { disclaimer, legalTracks, onboardingJourney, jurisdictionCards, portals, prohibitedClaimsPreview } =
     institutionalUx;
 
+  const counselPortals = portals.filter((p) => p.audience === 'counsel');
+  const institutionalPortals = portals.filter((p) => p.audience !== 'counsel');
+
   return (
     <section
       id="institutional-compliance"
@@ -79,22 +83,33 @@ export function InstitutionalComplianceHub() {
           </div>
         ) : null}
 
+        {/* Counsel return — external counsel */}
+        {counselPortals.length > 0 ? (
+          <div className="mt-12 rounded-xl border border-indigo-500/25 bg-indigo-500/5 p-6">
+            <div className="flex flex-col gap-5 lg:flex-row lg:items-center lg:justify-between">
+              <div className="max-w-xl">
+                <div className="inline-flex items-center gap-2 text-sm font-semibold text-indigo-200">
+                  <FileText className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden />
+                  External counsel returns
+                </div>
+                <p className="mt-2 text-xs leading-relaxed text-sovereign-ivory/55">
+                  Track A checklist and Track B WP-1–4 deliverables — signed matrices, memoranda PDFs, and gap
+                  register. Preferred channel: Gitea issue with the counsel-return template.
+                </p>
+              </div>
+              <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-3">
+                {counselPortals.map((p) => (
+                  <CounselPortalButton key={p.id} portal={p} primary={p.id === 'legal-issues'} />
+                ))}
+              </div>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        ) : null}
+
         {/* Portal links */}
         <div className="mt-10 flex flex-wrap gap-3">
-          {portals.map((p) => (
-            <Link
-              key={p.id}
-              href={p.href}
-              className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg border border-gray-700 bg-gray-900/50 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-orange-300 no-underline transition hover:border-orange-500/40 hover:text-orange-200"
-            >
-              {p.id.includes('onboard') ? (
-                <Building2 className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden />
-              ) : (
-                <Globe2 className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden />
-              )}
-              {p.label}
-              <ArrowRight className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden />
-            </Link>
+          {institutionalPortals.map((p) => (
+            <PortalLink key={p.id} portal={p} />
           ))}
         </div>
       </div>
@@ -102,6 +117,37 @@ export function InstitutionalComplianceHub() {
   );
 }
 
+function CounselPortalButton({ portal, primary }: { portal: InstitutionalPortal; primary?: boolean }) {
+  const className = primary
+    ? 'inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg border border-indigo-400/50 bg-indigo-500/20 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm font-semibold text-indigo-100 no-underline transition hover:border-indigo-300/60 hover:bg-indigo-500/30'
+    : 'inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg border border-gray-700 bg-gray-900/50 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm font-medium text-indigo-200 no-underline transition hover:border-indigo-500/40 hover:text-indigo-100';
+
+  return (
+    <Link href={portal.href} className={className}>
+      <FileText className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden />
+      {portal.label}
+      <ArrowRight className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden />
+    </Link>
+  );
+}
+
+function PortalLink({ portal }: { portal: InstitutionalPortal }) {
+  return (
+    <Link
+      href={portal.href}
+      className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg border border-gray-700 bg-gray-900/50 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-orange-300 no-underline transition hover:border-orange-500/40 hover:text-orange-200"
+    >
+      {portal.id.includes('onboard') ? (
+        <Building2 className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden />
+      ) : (
+        <Globe2 className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden />
+      )}
+      {portal.label}
+      <ArrowRight className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden />
+    </Link>
+  );
+}
+
 function LegalTrackCard({ track }: { track: LegalTrack }) {
   return (
     <Link
diff --git a/portal/src/data/institutional-ux.generated.json b/portal/src/data/institutional-ux.generated.json
index b55ce31..f321734 100644
--- a/portal/src/data/institutional-ux.generated.json
+++ b/portal/src/data/institutional-ux.generated.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "generatedAt": "2026-06-15T19:09:04.567Z",
+  "generatedAt": "2026-06-15T20:07:36.006Z",
   "source": "config/institutional-ux-ui.v1.json",
   "disclaimer": "Informational engineering readiness only — not legal advice, a regulatory determination, or an audit certificate. Counsel owns statutory interpretation.",
   "legalTracks": [
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@
     {
       "id": "legal-issues",
       "label": "Open counsel return issue",
-      "href": "https://gitea.d-bis.org/HOSPITALLERS/legal/issues/new",
+      "href": "https://gitea.d-bis.org/HOSPITALLERS/legal/issues/new?template=counsel-wp-return",
       "audience": "counsel"
     }
   ],