(I have no idea as to whether this one is valid or not, I'm as against patent trolls suing people with bogus patents as anyone else)
Surely the patent IS the innovation, and a perfectly valid way to use that innovation is to license it to larger companies.
If they can't meet that condition, sell the patent to a company who can. They'll actually innovate with it (ie., use the licence feeds to fund something useful).
I hate patent trolls too, but if your two outcomes are A) all you'll get is a bunch of umbrella companies coupling a legal firm to a modest widget mill. This is a great way to proliferate e-trash though and B ) The leviathan in town sets up a window to buy out every patent they can to save no long term litigation costs... Maybe your system is flawed to begin with.
Tons of technology is used in fields other than where it originated.
Probably a lawyer didn't legitimately invent an important new chemistry for a glue, but a baker could, or a landscaper, etc. And math and process/logistics can come from anyone anywhere at any time, even a lawyer.
This may be hard to define and be correct and fair about it.
Then again... in that case they'd be the originator which could be a special status vs purchased as an asset. Maybe not so hard to manage after all.