Future of Law by Goodlawyer Matt Scrivens

Our guest today is Andrew Goldner. Andrew is a lawyer and Co-Founder & CEO of GrowthX - a venture capital fund based out of San Francisco. 
Andrew’s resume doesn’t read like a typical VC Partner. Although Andrew started his career in New York, it wasn’t on Wall Street, nor was it in finance, or even as a startup founder.
Andrew started his journey as an internet lawyer, back when the internet was an emerging technology. Though successful by every measure, Andrew became restless after several years of practice. Specifically, he took issue with the fact that the legal profession emphasized the time spent, rather than the value added to their clients.  
After some deliberation, Andrew decided to leave the firm and embarked on an eclectic journey that took him to DoubleClick (a startup eventually acquired by Google), Thompson Reuters (where he was Managing Director of Reuter News in Singapore of all places), and he even tried his hand as a New Your City restauranteur!
Eventually, all these roads lead him to found GrowthX, a venture capital fund dedicated to helping founders find product market fit and get investment ready for their Series A. 
As you will hear, Andrew’s earned wisdom both as a lawyer and as a venture capitalist makes him an ideal guest for this show. Our conversation covers:
* Andrew’s journey from law to venture capital;
* Insights for lawyers working with startups (especially those lawyers who are risk averse);
* How the path to finding “product-market fit” is actually a formula; and
* Why “move fast and break things” is often the worst advice a founder can receive.
Whether you are a lawyer, startup general counsel, investor, or simply someone interested in learning how to grow a startup, Andrew drops plenty of “truth bombs” (a reference you will soon understand) that you won’t want to miss!
It was a pleasure having Andrew on the podcast and I hope you get as much out of this conversation as I know I did.
For more on Andrew, follow him on LinkedIn, and be sure to check out GrowthX. Links as always in the show notes. 
GrowthX Blog
Andrew Goldner LinkedIn


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Our guest today is Bryce Tingle. Bryce is a person who has worn many hats over the course of his career. 
He was a co-founder and partner of TingleMerrett LLP, which focused on securities and corporate finance for growth companies.  
He has been a founding member of multiple companies active in the technology, energy and financial industries.
He is currently an Associate Professor and holds the N. Murray Edwards Chair in Business Law at the University of Calgary. 
On top of all of that, Bryce literally wrote the textbook on Startup Law in Canada.
Bryce was kind enough to bring his vast amount of experience to the show where we covered a lot of ground including:
* How Bryce became a start-up lawyer, and ultimately, one of the leading voices in startup law in Canada; 
* What inspired Bryce to write the textbook on entrepreneurial law in Canada; 
* The different mindset lawyers need when advising start-up companies versus more established players;  and
* Bryce’s advice for lawyers who want to work with start-up companies.
For more on Bryce, you can connect with him on LinkedIn, or check out his articles on SSRN. 
If you are a lawyer interested in working with start-ups, make sure you pick up  a copy of his book “Start-Up and Growth Companies, A Guide to Legal and Business Practice 3rd ed.”
Trust me on this one, it is well worth the price! 
Corporate Finance and Canadian Law - Christopher Nicholls 

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Our guest today is Erin Cowling. Erin is a freelance lawyer and CEO & Founder of Flex Legal Network Inc., a company that matches busy lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel with freelance lawyers to assist with overflow legal work on a project basis. 
Previously, she was a corporate commercial litigator on Bay Street in Toronto. Erin also taught Legal Research & Writing at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law (2018-2020) and was the Regional Alumni Advisor (Toronto) (providing confidential career coaching to new lawyers) for the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law (2019-2021). 
On top of all of this Erin produced an award-winning law blog (currently on pause) and writes for several legal publications. 
Our wide-ranging conversation covers:
* Erin’s Journey from Big Law to starting FlexLegal;
* Her experiences working as both a lawyer and a founder of a startup;
* The importance of lawyers building their brand;  
* Her take on the current state of the legal profession (and where it is heading); and
* Advice to young lawyers still figuring out their career path. 

For more on Erin, you can connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Twitter at @Cowlingerin or @FlexLegalNet.
https://www.flexlegalnetwork.com/
Want to Practice on Goodlawyer?
If you (or a lawyer you know) would like to find out more information about practicing on the Goodlawyer platform, be sure to check out goodlawyer.ca/for-lawyers for all the details.
Goodlawyer gives independent and solo lawyers from across Canada the power & resources of a firm, all while allowing you the freedom to practice the way you want.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlawyer.substack.com

Our guest today is Aaron Wenner, the founder and CEO of CiteRight, a Toronto-based legal technology startup that makes it simple for litigators to find, cite and reuse the work they’ve already done.
Prior to founding Citeright, Aaron received his law degree from McGill University, a masters degree in Middle Easter Studies from Harvard University, and also practiced at a national firm on Bay Street in Toronto. 
Our wide ranging conversation covers:
* Aaron’s journey from academic & lawyer, to CEO of a startup;
* How the idea for CiteRight originated and developed;
* The landscape and adoption of legal tech in the profession;
* How Aaron’s law degree helps him run a startup; and
* How Aaron balances the pressure and stress of entrepreneurial life with having a family.
It was a pleasure having Aaron on the show. To find out more, please visit CiteRight, or follow Aaron on LinkedIn.

Calling All Lawyers!
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Goodlawyer gives independent and solo practitioners from across Canada the power & resources of a firm, all while allowing you to practice the way you want.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlawyer.substack.com

Our guest today is Erin Durant (she/her). Erin founded Durant Barristers after practicing law as a partner at one of the largest law firms in Canada.
Erin has represented clients at essentially every level of court, and regularly provides barrister services to other lawyers to assist with trials, appeals and other complex situations.
Erin left Big Law to start her own firm after experiencing mental health challenges during the pandemic and is using it to bring a fresh approach to the practice of law. 
Our wide-ranging conversation covers:
* The reason Erin left the big firm to start up her own practice;
* Erin’s experience with burnout and the lack of control she felt in a big firm setting;
* The practical steps Erin used to set up and manage the risk of launching her own practice; 
* How many of her biggest fears of leaving a traditional firm proved to be unfounded (including her compensation);
* What traits Erin looks for when hiring lawyers; and
* What she would change about the legal profession if she was grand ruler supreme!
I hope any of you thinking of setting up your own practice will find her advice informative and inspiring. 
For more on Erin, make sure to follow her on LinkedIn and check out her Ebook “It Burned Me All Down”, available on her firm’s website.

https://www.durantbarristers.com/
It Burned Me All Down (Ebook)
Law Society of Ontario - Guide to Opening Your Law Practice

Want to Practice on Goodlawyer?
If you (or a lawyer you know) would like to find out more information about practicing on the Goodlawyer platform, be sure to check out goodlawyer.ca/for-lawyers for all the details.
Goodlawyer gives independent and solo lawyers from across Canada the power & resources of a firm, all while allowing you the freedom to practice the way you want.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlawyer.substack.com

Our guest today is Dr. Jacqueline Walsh, a lawyer, professor, and the Director of the initio Technology and Innovation Law Clinic at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. 
Dr. Walsh has practiced corporate and intellectual property law for over 20 years, spending time both in Big Law, and working directly with small technology startups. 
Our conversation centers around Dr. Walsh’s journey from Big Law to running the initio law clinic, which helps Nova Scotia based technology startups get the early stage legal information they need to properly set up their venture, all while giving law students an opportunity to gain practical experience by acting and advising on innovation and startup matters.
We also delve into her experiences during her time as a startup lawyer, and Dr. Walsh gives a great road map for any lawyers looking to jump into the entrepreneurial space.
To find out more about Dr. Walsh or the initio law clinic, please click on the links below. 
www.initiolawclinic.ca 
Canadian Lawyers Article
Startup and Growth Companies in Canada (Book)


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodlawyer.substack.com