Fractional General Counsel for Scale-Ups
Your legal needs have outgrown a startup retainer but you're not ready for in-house counsel. We step in as your fractional GC — handling enterprise contracts, IP strategy, and cross-border compliance as you scale.
Do You Actually Need This?
Growth creates legal complexity faster than most founders expect.
Founder still reviewing enterprise contracts
Enterprise customers expect sophisticated legal review. When the founder is still the one redlining MSAs, deals slow down and credibility gaps appear during procurement.
Vendor contracts unsigned across multiple jurisdictions
Cross-border operations mean multiple legal systems apply simultaneously. Contracts valid in one jurisdiction may be unenforceable or create unexpected liability in another.
IP portfolio unregistered across target markets
As you enter new markets, competitors can register your brand and technology names first. Unregistered IP in growth markets is a liability that blocks expansion.
No legal review on partnership or licensing deals
Licensing agreements without proper structure can transfer IP rights unintentionally or create exclusivity terms that prevent future business relationships.
If your legal infrastructure is already ahead of your growth, let's make sure it stays that way.
What You Get
- Ongoing Advisory
Senior GC-Level Advisory
We attend board meetings, advise on growth strategy, and provide same-day legal responses — acting as a genuine senior legal officer without the full-time salary.
- Contract Negotiation
Enterprise & Partnership Agreements
We negotiate and draft enterprise MSAs, partnership agreements, distribution contracts, and licensing deals — protecting your interests at deal terms that match your growth stage.
- IP Portfolio Strategy
Cross-Border IP Protection
We audit your IP portfolio against your expansion markets, file trademark and copyright protections in target jurisdictions, and build enforcement strategies for existing rights.
- Regulatory Compliance
Cross-Border Privacy & AI Compliance
Growth companies entering new markets inherit new compliance obligations. We map your regulatory exposure and build compliant data practices across California, Ontario, and Quebec.
Flat Fee. No Surprises.
- Recommended
Growth Retainer
From $5,000/momonthly flat fee, no billable hours- Up to 20 hours of senior legal advisory per month
- Contract negotiation and drafting (up to 10 documents)
- Board meeting attendance (1 per quarter)
- Unlimited email and async advisory
- Quarterly IP portfolio and compliance audit
Growth Lite
From $3,000/mofor companies in early growth phase- Up to 12 hours of legal advisory per month
- Contract review and redline (up to 6 documents)
- Unlimited email Q&A on covered matters
Project-Based
From $1,500per engagement- One-off enterprise contract negotiation or review
- Single jurisdiction IP strategy engagement
- Defined scope, fixed fee
Your Questions Answered
When your legal volume exceeds 10 hours per month, you're negotiating enterprise deals, or you're operating in multiple jurisdictions — a fractional GC with senior experience becomes more cost-effective than episodic hourly engagement.
Yes — board attendance is included in the Growth Retainer tier, and can be added to other tiers by arrangement. We act as a genuine senior legal officer, not just an external advisor.
StarGuard Law is licensed in all three jurisdictions, so we provide unified legal counsel across US and Canadian operations — no referral patchwork, no jurisdiction gaps.
M&A and fundraising rounds involve specialized scope that is typically quoted as a project engagement. Retainer clients receive priority scheduling and reduced project rates.
Overage hours are billed at a reduced hourly rate agreed in your retainer agreement — typically well below standard market rates for senior counsel, because we understand your business.
