The A&O trainee who built (and sold) a legal tech startup as a side project during his training contract

In this episode, we sit down with Alexander Kardos-Nyheim, a lawyer who remarkably built a legal AI company as a side project during his training contract at A&O.

In 2024 - just as he was qualifying - he sold the business to Thomson Reuters for a life-changing sum of money.

Alexander shares his inspiring journey from a young advocate fighting against a developer threatening his community to becoming a lawyer and co-founding his legal tech startup, Safe Sign Technologies.

He discusses the challenges of balancing a training contract at A&O with the startup, the dynamics of the legal market, and the eventual acquisition by Thomson Reuters.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Alex's Journey
02:49 The Catalyst for Becoming a Lawyer
05:36 Navigating Law School and Early Advocacy
08:07 The Appeal of Big Law Firms
10:31 The Impact of Rising Salaries in Law
13:14 The Shift in the Legal Market Dynamics
15:45 Starting a Tech Business During a Training Contract
18:22 Building a Legal Tech Startup
20:56 Balancing Work and Startup Life
22:58 The Challenges of a Dual Career
29:30 Navigating Dual Careers: Law and Entrepreneurship
31:50 Pivoting to Legal AI: The Birth of a Startup
35:18 Building a Legal-Specific AI Model
39:21 Funding and Team Dynamics in a Startup
42:49 Acquisition Talks: The Thomson Reuters Interest
49:52 Life After Acquisition: New Beginnings at Thomson Reuters
54:36 Advice for Aspiring Lawyer-Entrepreneurs