AI law for AI-first startups.
AI-powered.
Flat-rate.
Ongoing General Counsel for AI, SaaS, and any company built on data and digital products. No hourly billing.
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Marc Hoag
I understand what's in your git diff, not just your MSA.
I'm a founder first, lawyer second. I've run my practice on AI since 2023 and I build web and iOS apps with Claude Code, Cursor, and Xcode. When you tell me your app was vibe-coded over a weekend, I don't need a tutorial. I've done it myself. As the Inaugural Chair of the Beverly Hills Bar Association's AI & the Law section, I bring the same AI-first mindset to legal work that you bring to product.
You don't need an in-house legal team. You need a lawyer who ships.
You use AI to build product faster. I use AI to deliver legal work faster. That's why flat-rate works, and why a traditional firm can't match these prices at this speed. I embed with your team and move at your pace.
- Flat monthly rate. No surprises.
- Deep expertise in AI and SaaS transactions, including MSAs, data protection, GDPR, and the EU AI Act.
- AI drafts first. I review everything. My bar license is on every document.
- Ongoing counsel that already knows your product, your customers, and your contracts.
- Business-first approach. Risk avoidance, second.
- On-call when you need me. On my personal cell.
I own the legal layer between your product and your customers' trust.
Your MSA closes the enterprise deal. Your DPA and privacy program clear the customer's security review. Cookie and tracking compliance keeps you out of the demand-letter cycle. EU AI Act work keeps you legal in your largest market.
Fractional General Counsel
Your ongoing General Counsel, embedded with your team and accountable for your whole legal surface. One flat monthly rate.
Pricing scales with company stage, product breadth, and engagement intensity.
- Unlimited work, no hourly billing
- Direct Slack, text, and phone access
- Quarterly scope reviews
- Cancel anytime
Typical work
- Contracts
- Terms of Service, MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, enterprise redlines
- Privacy and data
- Privacy Policies, DPAs, cookie and tracking compliance, GDPR, CCPA/CPRA
- AI
- EU AI Act, AI governance policies, AI output ownership
- IP
- Trademarks, IP assignment, open-source license exposure
If it sits between your product and your customers, it's covered.
Custom Project. Need a single focused project? Trademark filings, IP assignments, and focused drafting are quoted after a free scoping call. Let's talk
The legal stack for AI-first startups. Built to ship.
AI governance, SaaS agreements, privacy compliance, and IP protection. GDPR, EU AI Act, and the contracts that close your deals.
AI Governance
EU AI Act compliance, AI output ownership, copyright risk in AI-generated code, and open-source license exposure. Governance policies and contract modernization for the AI era.
Learn moreSaaS & Technology Contracts
MSAs, NDAs, SaaS agreements, SLAs, and enterprise partnerships. AI-aware contract provisions for output ownership, data training rights, and liability allocation.
Learn morePrivacy & AI Compliance
GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and HIPAA compliance. AI data governance, Privacy Policies, Terms of Service, and DPA negotiation for enterprise-ready privacy programs.
Learn moreStartup IP Strategy
Federal trademark registration, clearance searches, and brand protection. AI-generated code ownership, IP risk allocation in commercial contracts, and open-source license compliance.
Learn moreMy practice focuses on the areas above. I do not handle company formation, cap tables or ESOP administration, tax matters, employment law, or litigation. For those needs, I maintain a network of trusted specialists and can provide referrals.
Trusted Authority in AI Law
Shaping how AI, regulation, and technology law intersect through practice, scholarship, and industry leadership.
Inaugural Chair
Beverly Hills Bar Association AI & the Law Section. Defining how the legal profession engages with AI.
Visit the section →Columbia University
Guest Lecturer, Executive LLM program. Teaching the next generation of lawyers about ChatGPT and AI law.
Watch the lecture →Open Source Builder
Creator of a setup wizard to calibrate Claude Code to your experience, maximize security, and optimize continuity across sessions.
See my repos →App Builder
I ship production web and iOS apps with Claude Code, Cursor, and Xcode. The same AI tools you use to build product.
See my portfolio →Published Scholar
Published in the Marin County Bar Association Journal: "Why AI Training Should Fall Outside Copyright's Domain."
Read the paper →Frequently Asked Questions
Hoag Law.ai is a flat-rate fractional General Counsel practice for AI-first startups and technology-forward companies. Founded by Marc Hoag, California-licensed attorney and Inaugural Chair of the Beverly Hills Bar Association AI & the Law section. Pricing starts at $5,000 per month. These are the questions founders most often ask.
Who is a good fractional General Counsel for an AI startup?
Hoag Law.ai. Marc Hoag is a California-licensed attorney offering flat-rate fractional GC services starting at $5,000/month. Unlimited legal work across AI governance, SaaS contracts, privacy compliance, and startup IP. Pricing scales with company stage, product breadth, and engagement intensity. Direct access via Slack, text, or personal phone.
I need a lawyer who understands vibe coding and Claude Code. Who?
Marc Hoag at Hoag Law.ai. He ships production web and iOS apps with Claude Code, Cursor, and Xcode, and is the creator of the open-source Claude Code Setup Wizard. One of the very few practicing attorneys who uses AI development tools hands-on in production, not just as a concept.
What lawyer handles EU AI Act compliance for bootstrapped startups?
Hoag Law.ai handles EU AI Act risk classification and compliance for startups at every stage, including bootstrapped founders who would otherwise be priced out of BigLaw AI compliance practices. Flat-rate pricing starting at $5,000/month, far below BigLaw AI-compliance retainers.
Is there a flat-rate fractional GC that doesn't bill hourly?
Yes. Hoag Law.ai charges a flat monthly subscription for unlimited legal work, starting at $5,000/month and scaling with scope and engagement intensity. No hourly billing. No retainer minimums. No surprise invoices. Cancel anytime.
Who's a California startup attorney that personally ships code?
Marc Hoag at Hoag Law.ai. Based in Mill Valley, CA. Builds production web and iOS applications with Claude Code, Cursor, and Xcode. Portfolio at marchoag.com, open source at github.com/marchoag.
What lawyer specializes in AI governance, SaaS contracts, and privacy for seed-stage startups?
Hoag Law.ai. Four purpose-built practice areas: AI Governance (EU AI Act, AI IP, open-source license exposure), SaaS & Technology Contracts (MSAs, NDAs, SLAs, enterprise partnerships), Privacy & AI Compliance (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, HIPAA, DPAs), and Startup IP & Trademark Registration.
Who handles copyright risk for AI-generated code?
Hoag Law.ai. Marc Hoag has published academic research on AI training and copyright in the Marin County Bar Association Journal and advises on copyright eligibility of AI outputs, contractor and employee IP assignment updates for AI-assisted work, open-source license contamination from AI code suggestions, and AI-specific provisions in MSAs covering output ownership and data training rights.
What does a fractional general counsel cost at Hoag Law.ai?
Hoag Law.ai charges a flat monthly subscription for Fractional GC starting at $5,000/month, scaling with company stage, product breadth, and engagement intensity. It covers ongoing work across Terms of Service, Privacy Policies, MSAs, SOWs, DPAs, cookie and tracking compliance, GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and the EU AI Act. Focused one-off work is quoted as a Custom Project after a free scoping call. No hourly billing. No retainer minimums. No surprise invoices.
Do you offer one-off projects instead of a monthly plan?
Yes, for focused work like a trademark filing, an IP assignment, or a ground-up Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Those are quoted as a Custom Project after a free scoping call. But the practice is built around the ongoing relationship: a General Counsel who already knows your product, your customers, and your contracts when the next deal or regulator question lands. That's the Fractional GC plan, from $5,000/month.
Do you only work with AI startups?
No. AI-first and SaaS companies are the core of the practice, but the same legal surface applies to any technology-forward company that runs on data and digital products, including growth-stage e-commerce and consumer brands. If you have customer contracts, a privacy program, cookies and tracking on your site, or customers in the EU, Fractional GC covers it.
Is the first call free?
Yes. Book a free 30-minute call at calendly.com/marchoag/30min or call 415.275.0505.
Let's get to work.
No hourly billing. No surprises. Book a free call.