The Craziest, Scariest Thing I’ve Done

Four years ago, I left my legal practice at Kirkland & Ellis, bid a sad adieu to my colleagues, and traded my private midtown office with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline for a shared desk in an office space above a fabric shop in Chinatown.

My goal was to create software that made it easier for attorneys to practice law, but I only had a vague sense of how I would get there. With no technical cofounder by my side, I spent the first few months learning the basics of computer programming—mostly by trying to build a legal marketplace and hitting my head on the desk until it worked.

After several months of running a legal marketplace, and some misadventures on the technical side, I found solid technical and design cofounders, and we hit the ground running. One of the first things we realized was that the marketplace wasn't a good business for us.

Fast forward a couple years, and our company Alt Legal is now a fast-growing and award-winning IP software company. We’ve created a new paradigm for the IP space—one that provides automation with IP office data, simplifies complicated tasks with intuitive design, and puts customers first with free, unlimited, and instant support.

Fortunately, IP attorneys and paralegals are noticing. Am Law firms, public and private companies, and boutique practices rely on our software to handle hundreds of thousands of trademark and patent filings and deadlines daily.

We've cultivated real relationships with bloggers, podcasters, and journalists in the legal and IP world. We’ve won awards, been featured in prominent publications, and even collaborated on international studies with leading IP publications. We're finding a legal tech world that is more realistic and modern than most people assume.

We’ve doubled our headcount in the last 12 months. We’ve maintained the commitment to diversity we had when we started this company. More than half of our team members are women. A third of our team members are immigrants. We have ivy-league graduates and individuals with no college degrees. We have middle-aged parents and recent college graduates. We're building a great company together, united by pride in our work and a culture built on respect, humility, and creativity.

Most importantly, I really can't thank our customers enough. Their passion, loyalty, and positive feedback make the late nights and daily stress of starting a business all worth it. They're not just our customers; they're our advocates, friends, and partners on this journey.

Thank you all for helping Alt Legal succeed!