Founding Partner, Lawyer

Overview

This role is a co-founding opportunity to build and launch an AI-native law firm in California.

Location: San Francisco, Remote

Employment type: Full time

Responsibilities

• Own and operate the law firm, including professional judgment, licensing, entity decisions, and client relationships.
• Lead the California practice build-out while maintaining independent professional judgment.
• Co-found the Management Services Organization (MSO) together with the team to build and run all non-practice-of-law functions, including:
  • AI systems the firm runs on
  • Engineering
  • Operations
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Administration
  • Recruiting
• Structure the MSO’s relationship with the practice under an arm’s-length services agreement, with the MSO receiving a services fee.

Requirements

• Admitted in California and in good standing.
• Senior enough that clients hire you directly rather than based on a firm name.
• Bring a book of business and the ability to convert relationships into engagements (experience with GCs, partners, founders, and alumni networks).
• Have considered leaving to start your own firm; the primary reason you have not is avoiding the need to spend multiple years building a back office.
• Seek ownership rather than a salary line, with interest in founder equity in the MSO plus the economics of your own firm.
• Strong, working knowledge of legal ethics and boundaries, including:
  • independence of judgement
  • fee-sharing
  • confidentiality
  • unauthorised practice
• Comfortable operating early in a venture with no brand precedent and no support staff on day one.
• Tech-curious mindset toward AI in law; interest in legal craft and case work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building or advising on MSO, ABS, or other alternative legal service structures.
• Prior ownership of a P&L or a practice group.
• Litigation experience alongside advisory work.
• Ability to speak a second language.

Compensation & Benefits

• Founder equity in the MSO.
• Economics tied to ownership of the law firm (rather than a salary line).
• Upside that scales across both entities.

Location

• San Francisco
• Remote