Fractional General Counsel for Innovation-Driven Enterprises
Executive-Level IP & Legal Strategy. Without the Full-Time Overhead. Your Innovation Is Your Most Valuable Asset. We Make Sure You Own It.
Growing companies outpace their legal protection usually without realizing it.
Reactive legal is expensive. Prevention is a strategy. The bill comes later during due diligence, a competitor dispute, or an acquisition, when a single gap can reduce your valuation or kill the deal entirely.
- Inventions get built before anyone secures the patent rights.
- Employees and contractors create IP the company doesn't clearly own.
- Contracts get signed under pressure without strategic review.
- IP sits as scattered filings instead of a coordinated asset.
What is Fractional General Counsel?
Executive legal leadership, but on demand.
An FCLO (Fractional Chief Legal Officer) gives your business part-time, C-suite-level legal support without the cost and commitment of a full in-house legal department. We manage:
- Patent prosecution and IP strategy
- Trademark registration and monitoring
- Corporate legal matters and business acquisitions
- Contract drafting, review, and negotiation
- Trade secret and competitive-advantage protection
Delivered through predictable monthly subscriptions, so your legal function scales with your business, not against your budget.
Why Choose Fargo?
Because we protect your business and revenue, not just your paperwork.
Securing IP for innovation-driven enterprises.
Prevention, Not Litigation
Most IP firms file documents and are built around lawsuits. We build strategy around preventing them, identifying gaps before they become expensive disputes.
Tech-Enabled. Expert-Delivered.
Tech-enabled mapping accelerates discovery and maps your IP landscape. Experienced attorneys review, validate, and strengthen every recommendation.
The Complete Picture
We tell you exactly what you own, what's protected, what's missing, what risks exist, and what should happen next—in plain language, no jargon.
Predictable, Flat-Fee Pricing
No hourly surprises. You know the exact cost before work begins, making budgeting for legal expenses straightforward.
IP That Drives Business Value
A patent isn't valuable because it exists. It's valuable when it supports your market position, competitive advantage, and exit strategy.
A Partnership That Continues
For us, filing is the beginning. We provide ongoing portfolio reviews, strategic planning, and proactive support as you grow.
Case Study: Securing the Exit Valuation
The Client: A rapidly scaling SaaS company preparing for a Series B funding round and eventual acquisition.
The Challenge: Despite having a robust product, their IP ownership was fractured. Key algorithms were developed by early contractors without proper assignment clauses, and core software processes remained unpatented, creating a massive red flag for institutional investors.
The FCLO Solution: Our Fractional GC stepped in to conduct a comprehensive IP mapping. We retroactively secured clean IP assignments from all former contractors, filed two defensive patents around their core machine learning models, and implemented a trade-secret protocol for their internal engineering team.
Business Impact Delivered to Your Bottom Line
Mapped directly to your executive priorities.
Founders, CEOs & Owners
Enterprise value & exit readiness. A strategic IP roadmap turns scattered filings into a long-term business asset driving stronger investor confidence and a higher valuation.
CFOs & COOs
Predictable cost & risk reduction. Fixed monthly pricing replaces unpredictable hourly fees. Enforceable ownership documentation reduces acquisition risk and avoids costly legal cleanup.
CTOs & Heads of R&D
Protecting what you build. Build patent and trade-secret moats that block competitors, secure freedom to operate, and keep proprietary knowledge from walking out the door.
Subscription Plans
Choose the level of legal firepower your business needs. Predictable monthly plans. Structured project management. Executive-level expertise at every tier.
Defense
Protect what you've built.
Ongoing monitoring, foundational protection, and always-on legal guidance for steady operations.
Offense
Build and expand your advantage.
Full patent and trademark prosecution, complex contracts, corporate and M&A support.
Powerplay
Strategic dominance & exit readiness.
Everything in Offense plus clearance opinions, exit planning, and maximum project throughput.
Not sure which tier fits? See Which Plan Fits →
Getting Started is Simple
Strategy Consultation
IP & Risk Assessment
Your Roadmap
Ongoing Partnership
The Confidence Behind Every Partnership
Our clients choose us for practical legal strategy, responsive counsel, and lasting business relationships built on trust.
"Fargo Patent Law helped me tremendously. Building prototypes, hiring engineers, filing a patent all new to me. Tom was completely honest... I knew they were different. They actually care. A breath of fresh air in the legal community."
April 4, 2024"Working with Stephanie and Tom has been an outstanding experience. Their professionalism and attention to detail... were impeccable. Their proactive approach, especially in advising us about future needs, has been invaluable."
February 22, 2024"If you want to work with the best Patent & IP Law team, look no further than FP! Tom and his team will help you accomplish all your goals and help you build your business legacy!"
May 22, 2023"The research the office did for me up front saved me huge amounts of unneeded work and thousands of dollars of potentially wasted resources. I would absolutely recommend Fargo Patent Law to anyone who wants it done right the first time."
March 19, 2025Frequently Asked Questions
Firms bill by the hour and engage reactively. We work on a flat monthly fee as a proactive partner, offering predictable cost, ongoing strategy, and faster turnaround.
An FCLO augments your team with specialized IP and business-legal expertise that most general counsel don't carry in-house, without adding a full-time executive salary.
No. AI accelerates discovery and mapping. Every recommendation is reviewed, validated, and strengthened by experienced IP attorneys. People make the decisions.
Innovation-driven companies scaling toward, through, or beyond the growth stage, where IP is a core asset and legal risk carries real financial consequences.
You choose a monthly plan. Pricing is set before work begins, so there are no hourly surprises.