Fractional general counsel · David Moore

A general counsel who built and sold a company before he practiced law

The Virtual C-Suite's fractional general counsel is David Moore, managing partner of Dave Moore Law and a registered patent attorney. He founded a technology company in the early 1990s, ran it for [confirm] years, sold it, and entered law in 2006. As vGC he handles contracts, employment, intellectual property, disputes, capital and growth matters for companies in Maryland and DC on a monthly retainer.

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What does a fractional general counsel do?

A fractional general counsel is your company's lawyer on a part-time, ongoing basis: reviewing and negotiating contracts before you sign, keeping employment practices out of court, protecting what you have built (trademarks, patents, trade secrets), managing outside counsel when a matter needs specialists, and sitting in the leadership meeting so legal risk gets weighed with everything else. The difference from a law firm on call is that the general counsel already knows the business.

What David handles

Commercial contractsCustomer, vendor, SaaS, licensing, NDAs, MSAs
EmploymentOffer letters, handbooks, contractor classification, terminations, non-competes under Maryland law
Intellectual propertyPatents (he is registered before the USPTO), trademarks, trade secrets, IP assignment in employment and contractor agreements
CorporateEntity structure, operating agreements, shareholder matters, board hygiene
Capital and growthTerm sheets, investor documents, franchise agreements and FDD review [confirm], M&A due diligence on either side
DisputesEarly-stage resolution, demand letters, managing litigation counsel; litigation itself under a separate engagement

Who it is for

Owner-led companies with recurring legal decisions and no lawyer on staff. Technology and product companies where IP is the asset. Franchisors and franchisees. Companies heading toward a sale.

Who it is not for

Consumer legal matters. Companies needing a litigator full-time. Regulatory specialties David would refer (securities, immigration, tax controversy).

Why a patent attorney as general counsel?

Because for most of the companies we serve, the thing worth protecting is what they invented or built, and most general counsels have never prosecuted a patent. David has, and he has also been the founder whose company depended on it.

Questions owners ask

How much does a fractional general counsel cost?

Our retainer ranges are on the pricing page; the US market in 2026 runs about $5,000 to $15,000 a month for an embedded fractional GC against $250,000 to $600,000 a year for a full-time one.

Is David my lawyer or is the firm?

David, through Dave Moore Law. The engagement letter is with his firm; the retainer is coordinated with the other VCS seats.

Can you handle litigation?

Yes, under a separate engagement; the retainer covers managing it and early resolution.

Do you work with companies outside Maryland?

Yes for general counsel work; David is licensed in [confirm] and brings in local counsel where a matter requires it.

The other two seats

Duane EpperlyVirtual CIO30 years in IT. Founder of EDG.tech and co-owner of two franchise businesses.Fractional CIO →

Daniel RamosVirtual Chief Security Officer25 years in the FBI, retired as Assistant Special Agent in Charge.Fractional CSO →

Tell us the decision you are stuck on.

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