Fractional General Counsel for Startups & Tech Companies
The same strategic legal leadership as an in-house GC — integrated into your operations on a monthly retainer, without the fixed costs of a full-time hire. We run your legal function so you can run your company.
What we handle every month
- Contract review, negotiation and drafting (customer, vendor, SaaS, NDAs)
- Corporate governance: board minutes, resolutions, written consents
- Cap table maintenance and equity management
- Employment: offer letters, equity agreements, terminations, PIP
- IP management: assignments, trademark monitoring, licensing
- Compliance: regulatory monitoring, privacy policy updates, data agreements
- Fundraising support: investor communications, data room, term review
- Strategic legal advice on product, commercial and corporate decisions
Who this is for
Companies signing real contracts, managing equity and preparing for institutional investment — but not yet ready for a full-time GC.
SaaS, fintech, marketplace and AI companies with growing contract volume, cross-border operations and compliance obligations.
Foreign companies that need ongoing local legal coverage without hiring a full team in a new jurisdiction.
Why Kaplan as your Fractional GC
We understand cap tables, term sheets, SAFEs, ESOP mechanics and VC governance. No time lost explaining the basics — we operate in your language from day one.
Carlos Kaplan trained at Fenwick & West, the leading Silicon Valley tech law firm, and KPMG. We know what institutional investors expect and how to build legal infrastructure that survives due diligence.
Most of our clients have legal needs that span multiple jurisdictions. We handle Argentina, Delaware and cross-border structures without requiring you to coordinate multiple firms.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Fractional General Counsel?
A Fractional General Counsel (Fractional GC) is an experienced lawyer who serves as your company's legal director on a part-time, retainer basis — without the cost of a full-time hire. They handle strategic legal decisions, manage external counsel, review contracts, advise the board and provide day-to-day legal coverage. The model is increasingly standard for startups from seed through Series B.
How is a Fractional GC different from paying a lawyer by the hour?
Hourly counsel is reactive — you call, they bill. A Fractional GC is integrated into your operation: they know your business, your cap table, your contracts and your risk profile. They advise proactively, attend board meetings, flag issues before they become problems, and operate as a member of your leadership team. The economics are also better: a fixed monthly retainer vs. unpredictable hourly bills.
When should a startup hire a Fractional GC?
Key signals: you're signing contracts without consistent legal review, legal tasks are consuming significant founder time, you're preparing for fundraising, you're entering new markets, or you're hiring internationally. Most startups benefit from Fractional GC support from seed stage onward. The cost of not having it typically shows up during due diligence or in a dispute — when it's expensive to fix.
What does monthly legal coverage include?
A typical monthly scope includes: contract review and negotiation (customer, vendor, partnership agreements), corporate governance (board minutes, resolutions, cap table maintenance), employment matters (offer letters, equity agreements, terminations), IP management (trademark, assignments, licensing), compliance monitoring, investor communication support and strategic legal advice on business decisions. Scope is tailored to each company's stage.
How quickly can we start with a Fractional GC engagement?
We can typically onboard within 1–2 weeks. The process includes an initial diagnostic call to understand your legal situation, current contracts, corporate structure and priorities — followed by a proposal and retainer agreement. We do not require long-term commitments; engagements are month-to-month with 30-day notice.
Schedule your legal diagnostic
Tell us your stage, current legal setup and the main issues on your plate — we'll propose a Fractional GC scope that fits your company and budget.
Request a Fractional GC proposal
Tell us your company stage, main legal challenges and monthly contract volume. We'll come back with a concrete scope and pricing.