Bergin, Frakes, Smalley & Oberholtzer

What Bergin, Frakes, Smalley & Oberholtzer does

Bergin, Frakes, Smalley & Oberholtzer (BFSO Law) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based full-service law firm structured as a partnership among four named equity partners and operating from a single headquarters at 4343 East Camelback Road in the Londen Center. Founded in 2013 with predecessor practice roots extending to the early 2000s, the firm employs nine attorneys and six support staff (approximately 15 personnel in total) and is organized around three practice groups: Litigation (commercial and civil disputes, construction law, employment law, financial institution collections, general liability/insurance defense, and real estate litigation); Land Use (government relations, lobbying, zoning, entitlement, and master-planned community work); and Transactional services (corporate governance, tax planning, commercial leasing, finance, property development, intellectual property, commercial contracts, and sports law).

The firm serves individuals, small businesses, and corporations throughout Arizona and Nevada, with admission to practice before the Arizona Court of Appeals, Arizona Supreme Court, Arizona Federal District Court, the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Client acquisition is relationship- and referral-driven, anchored by partner reputations such as Brian Bergin's 25+ years of civil litigation experience and Carolyn Oberholtzer's former municipal attorney roles. Revenue is generated through hourly and fixed-fee engagements across the practice areas, with no external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries.

Operational technology is limited to standard third-party legal-practice tools including the Clio payments platform for client billing. There is no proprietary technology product line, no app, no API, and no disclosed AI/ML capability. The firm's strategic positioning relies on attorney credentials (including Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent ratings and Southwest Super Lawyers listings), board-level participation in Valley Partnership for distribution into the Arizona development community, and cross-disciplinary practice coverage that allows it to serve clients across the full real estate development lifecycle.

Name

Bergin, Frakes, Smalley & Oberholtzer

Legal name

Bergin, Frakes, Smalley & Oberholtzer

Website

https://bfsolaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bergin, Frakes, Smalley & Oberholtzer (BFSO Law) is a Phoenix-based full-service Arizona law firm organized around litigation, land use, and transactional practices, serving individuals, small businesses, and corporations in real estate development, commercial transactions, and civil litigation across Arizona and Nevada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: BFSO generates revenue through legal service fees charged to clients for representation in litigation, transactional matters, land use, employment law, real estate, and other practice areas. Fees are billed on an hourly or fixed-fee basis depending on the matter type.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

BFSO Law is a full-service Arizona law firm providing litigation, land use, and transactional legal services to individuals, small businesses, and corporations. The firm represents clients in commercial and civil disputes, real estate development and leasing, zoning and entitlement matters, employment law, construction disputes, intellectual property, tax planning, and government relations across Arizona and Nevada state and federal courts. Fees are billed on hourly or fixed-fee arrangements depending on matter complexity.

Product overview

BFSO Law is a full-service Arizona law firm offering legal services through three practice area groups: Litigation (covering commercial disputes, construction law, employment law, financial institutions, insurance defense, and real estate litigation), Land Use (government relations, lobbying, zoning, and entitlements), and Transactional services (corporate governance, tax planning, leasing, finance, property development, intellectual property, contracts, and sports law). The firm provides these legal services as a unified offering, with attorneys specializing across practice areas to serve individuals, small businesses, and corporations in real estate and development, commercial transactions, and civil litigation matters throughout Arizona and Nevada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial and Civil Litigation Representation in commercial and civil disputes covering pre-litigation, trial, and appellate work in Arizona and Nevada courts, including the Arizona Court of Appeals, Arizona Supreme Court, Arizona Federal District Court, the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Service is targeted at individuals, insurers, banks, small and large businesses, governments, and public servants.
• Construction Law Legal representation for general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, design professionals, owners, and developers in commercial disputes, professional malpractice claims, bond claims, lien foreclosures, and Registrar of Contractors hearings.
• Employment Law Counsel on employment-based contracts, federal and state compliance, employee handbooks and policies, workplace investigations, and employer defense and litigation for businesses operating in Arizona.
• Financial Institution and Collections Legal services for financial institutions including workout negotiations, foreclosures, post-foreclosure litigation, receiverships, injunctions, collection services, and bankruptcy representation.
• General Liability and Insurance Defense Defense representation for public entities, businesses, and individuals in civil litigation using cost-effective strategies with emphasis on client communications and ongoing case evaluation.
• Real Estate Litigation Litigation services for brokers, agents, owners, developers, lenders, landlords, and tenants involving purchase and sale contracts, secured loans, title disputes, easements, and commercial leases.
• Land Use Services Guidance through municipal and county land use and entitlement matters including master-planned communities, retail projects, residential communities, zoning variances, and platting throughout Arizona.
• Government Relations and Lobbying Representation navigating local regulatory and legislative actions, including representation in public and administrative hearings before municipal, county, and state boards and commissions.
• Zoning and Entitlement Land use guidance covering general plans, rezoning, entitlements, development agreements, annexations, subdivisions, and site plan approvals across Arizona counties.
• Commercial and Real Estate Transactions Full-service legal counsel for individuals, small businesses, and corporations in commercial transactions, real estate, and business matters.
• Corporate Structure and Governance Business formation, governance guidance, and counsel for preserving and protecting businesses for future generations.
• Tax Planning and Controversy Strategic tax planning and advisory services for real estate, corporate transactions, and federal, state, and local taxes, including representation before tax authorities.
• Commercial Leasing Negotiation and drafting of commercial leases for tenants and landlords, including tenant improvements, use restrictions, and lease dispute support.
• Lending and Finance Legal support for lenders and borrowers including loan document drafting and negotiation, transaction oversight, loan modifications, and settlements.
• Property Development and Due Diligence Legal guidance from letter of intent through acquisition, development, and disposition, including purchase agreements, permitting, closing, and development agreement negotiations.
• Intellectual Property Services IP audits, trademark and copyright registrations, trade secret management, domain name safeguarding, IP licensing, and portfolio maintenance for clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
• Contracts and Commercial Agreements Drafting and refinement of commercial agreements including master services, SaaS, manufacturing, supply, distribution, vendor, professional services, development, and non-disclosure agreements.
• Sports Law Legal counsel for sport and recreation entities covering premises liability, waivers/releases, assumption of risk, indemnification, vendor contracts, and compliance audits.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Valley PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValley Partnership is a local development advocacy association. Carolyn Oberholtzer serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors for Valley Partnership, connecting the firm with the Arizona development community.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gammage & Burnham: Phoenix-based mid-size firm with a deeply specialized real estate development, land use, zoning, and entitlement practice serving Arizona master-planned communities — closely mirrors BFSO's land use and development transactional core, with comparable firm size and geographic focus.
• Jaburg Wilk: Phoenix-based mid-size firm serving businesses and individuals with commercial litigation, real estate, employment, and business law services — comparable size and practice mix to BFSO.
• Gallagher & Kennedy: Arizona-based mid-size firm with overlapping practice areas in real estate, land use, commercial litigation, and corporate transactions; serves similar mid-market developer, business, and individual clients across the Phoenix market.
• Fennemore Craig: Long-established Phoenix-headquartered firm offering real estate, business, litigation, and government relations services; comparable Arizona regional footprint and overlapping commercial transactions / civil litigation practice mix.
• Buchanan & Buerger Property Law Group: Arizona-based boutique focused on real estate, construction, and land use matters; competes directly with BFSO's transactional and land use practice for developer and property owner clients in the Phoenix metro.

Broad incumbents

• Snell & Wilmer: Large Phoenix-founded firm with significant real estate, land use, and commercial litigation practices; competes for the same Arizona developer and business clients but with substantially more attorneys and geographic reach.
• Dickinson Wright: National firm with Phoenix office covering commercial litigation, real estate, and business law; competes for similar Arizona developer and business clients but with broader geographic scope and larger bench.
• Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie: Larger full-service Southwestern firm with Phoenix presence; competes for the same real estate, litigation, and corporate work but operates broader regional and national practices beyond BFSO's Arizona/Nevada focus.
• Polsinelli: National full-service firm with Phoenix office offering real estate, litigation, employment, and corporate services; competes for similar Arizona real estate and commercial matters but with materially greater resources and geographic reach.
• Quarles & Brady (Quarles): National firm with Phoenix office covering real estate, business transactions, and litigation; competes for similar mid-market Arizona clients but offers the scale and full-service breadth of a much larger platform.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bergin, Frakes, Smalley & Oberholtzer