Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost

What Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost does

Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP (F3 Law) is a privately held U.S. education law firm founded in 2006 and headquartered in Fresno, California, operating as a Limited Liability Partnership. The firm exclusively serves educational institutions, including K-12 school districts, county offices of education, community colleges, institutions of higher education, SELPAs, charter schools, private/independent schools, and religious and parochial schools, with a stated base of more than 400 California educational institutions plus clients nationwide. Services are delivered through 11 offices across California (Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, Inland Empire), Washington (Seattle), Iowa (Des Moines), Illinois (Chicago, Edwardsville), and Missouri (St. Louis), following the January 1, 2026 combination with Kriha Boucek LLC.

The firm offers 16 distinct legal practice areas covering Board governance, special education (IDEA/Section 504), student rights and discipline, labor relations and collective bargaining, complex litigation, employment law, facilities and construction, real estate, Title IX compliance, internal investigations, government affairs and public policy, athletics, virtual learning, communications and media relations, business and contracts, and education technology. The firm's go-to-market is direct, relationship-based professional services delivered by attorneys and supported by content marketing, an insights newsletter, and recurring client symposiums (Special Education Symposium and Student Services Legal Symposium). Revenue is generated through professional services billing, including hourly rates, fixed fee arrangements, and alternative fee structures; no public pricing is disclosed and revenue is not publicly reported.

The firm does not operate a proprietary technology platform, API, or SDK. Its differentiators are domain depth, regulatory specialization, a talent base largely drawn from former public education professionals, and brand recognition including the No. 1 ranking in the 2025 Leopard Law Firm Index Mid-Sized 200 and U.S. News & World Report 2025-2026 Best Companies to Work For: Law Firms. Following the Kriha Boucek combination, the firm comprises more than 150 lawyers and is led by Managing Partner Namita S. Brown alongside founding partners Peter K. Fagen and Howard J. Fulfrost. The firm is privately held by its partners with no external institutional or private equity ownership.

Name

Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost

Legal name

Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP

Website

https://f3law.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP (F3 Law) is a privately held U.S. education law firm founded in 2006 that exclusively serves K-12 districts, community colleges, universities, and related educational institutions across 11 U.S. offices through 16 specialized legal practices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fresno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Professional legal services billed to educational institution clients including school districts, county offices, community colleges, and higher education. Services include litigation, labor relations, special education, governance, employment law, and other education-specific legal matters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP (F3 Law) is a national education law firm providing specialized legal services exclusively to educational institutions. The firm offers 16 distinct practice areas covering board governance, special education, student rights, labor relations, employment law, litigation, facilities and construction, real estate, Title IX, investigations, communications, education technology, and government affairs. F3 Law represents over 400 California and other U.S. educational institutions including school districts, county offices of education, community colleges, higher education institutions, SELPAs, and charter schools.

Product overview

Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP (F3 Law) is a national education law firm offering comprehensive legal services through a multi-practice platform model. The firm provides 16 distinct legal service offerings covering the full spectrum of issues facing educational institutions, from governance and employment to special education, litigation, and emerging areas like education technology and AI. The firm serves diverse client types including public K-12 school districts, community colleges, higher education institutions, charter schools, and private/religious schools across 11 offices nationwide. Following the January 2026 combination with Kriha Boucek LLC, the firm will comprise over 150 lawyers offering expanded coverage in the Midwest region while maintaining the foundational Next Level Client Services program for enhanced client engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Special Education IDEA and Section 504 legal services including IEP disputes, due process hearings, placement decisions, and disability discrimination matters for educational institutions.
• Student Rights & Discipline Counsel on student discipline, suspension and expulsion procedures, due process rights, search and seizure, and student welfare matters for schools and districts.
• Title IX Title IX compliance, investigations, grievance procedures, athletics equity, and response to sexual harassment complaints in educational settings.
• Litigation Civil litigation representation, defense, and trial services for education-related disputes in state and federal courts.
• Employment Law Representation and counsel on employment matters including hiring, termination, disciplinary actions, wage and hour compliance, and employee relations for schools.
• Labor Relations & Negotiations Collective bargaining, contract negotiations with employee unions, grievance handling, and labor relations strategy for school districts.
• Governance & Leadership Counsel for school boards, superintendents, and governance bodies on policy development, Brown Act compliance, board operations, and leadership matters.
• Business Legal Services Legal counsel for business operations including contracts, transactions, and compliance matters for educational institutions.
• Communications & Media Relations Legal guidance on communications, media inquiries, public relations, and crisis communications for schools and districts.
• Education Technology Legal counsel on technology adoption, edtech contracts, student data privacy, AI implementation, and digital learning platforms for educational institutions.
• Facilities & Construction Legal services for school construction projects, facilities development, developer agreements, lease-leaseback arrangements, and bond financing.
• Government Affairs & Public Policy Advocacy and policy guidance on legislative matters, regulatory compliance, and governmental relations affecting educational institutions.
• Investigations Conducting internal investigations for schools including employee misconduct allegations, Title IX complaints, and compliance audits.
• Real Estate & Property Legal counsel on real property transactions, property acquisition, disposition, leasing, and property management for schools.
• School & College Athletics Legal guidance on athletics programs, CIF compliance, student-athlete eligibility, concussion protocols, and athletic conference rules.
• Virtual Learning Legal guidance on distance learning, online education, digital instruction platforms, and distance education compliance.
• Next Level Client Services Enhanced client service program offering proactive communication, strategic planning, and dedicated support to educational institution clients.
• ISTE-Certified Course on Legal and Ethical AI Use in Education Professional development course covering AI implementation considerations for educational institutions, including procurement benchmarks, legal frameworks, and compliance requirements, validated by ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• No. 1 in the nation in 2025 Leopard Law Firm Index Mid-Sized 200
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• Kriha Boucek LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2025Kriha Boucek LLC, an Illinois-based education law firm, joined F3 Law effective January 1, 2026. The combination created one of the largest and most experienced education law practices in the United States with more than 150 lawyers in 11 offices. Kriha Boucek brought offices in Chicago, Illinois, Edwardsville, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri, strengthening F3 Law's Midwest presence. The combination enables the firm to offer clients unmatched depth, coverage, and experience in all areas of education law while preserving the personalized client care that defined both firms.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lozano Smith LLP: California-based education law firm serving public school districts and community colleges across the state. Most direct competitor to F3 in California's K-12 and community college legal services market with overlapping practice areas including governance, labor, and special education.
• Miller Brown & Dannis: California law firm dedicated to representing public agencies including K-12 districts, community college districts, and special education local plan areas. Overlapping client mix and education-specialized practice make it a direct competitor to F3.
• Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo: Full-service California law firm with a substantial education law practice representing public agencies including K-12 districts, community colleges, and special education agencies. Direct competitor with comparable service breadth and California geographic overlap.
• Liebert Cassidy Whitmore: California-based law firm representing public agencies, school districts, and community colleges in labor relations, employment, and education law matters. Closely comparable to F3 in client base, California focus, and labor/employment-heavy service mix.
• Orbach Huff + Henderson LLP: California-based education and public agency law firm serving school districts, county offices of education, and special education agencies. Specializes in the same K-12 client segments as F3 and competes head-to-head for California district engagements.
• Franczek Radelet PC: Chicago-based law firm focused on representing school districts and educational employers in labor, employment, governance, and special education matters. Comparable in service mix and K-12 client focus to F3, and a candidate for similar M&A consolidation patterns given F3's Midwest expansion via Kriha Boucek.

Broad incumbents

• Cozen O'Connor: National law firm with a public sector and education practice serving school districts, colleges, and universities. Comparable capability across education law but with significantly broader industry coverage than F3's education-only focus.
• Jackson Lewis P.C. Large national employment and labor law firm with a dedicated K-12 education practice serving school districts. A broader incumbent whose education segment overlaps F3's labor/employment practice but represents only a fraction of the firm's overall business.
• Ballard Spahr LLP: AmLaw 200 national law firm with a substantial education practice serving higher education institutions and K-12 districts. Comparable capability overlap with F3 across higher education, Title IX, and student rights, though Ballard's education work sits within a much broader portfolio.

Regional players

• Hanson Bridgett LLP: California-based law firm with a public agency and education law practice serving school districts, community colleges, and special education agencies. Comparable client overlap with F3 across Northern California, but also serves private and public clients broadly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/f3law
• Xx.com/f3law

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost