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, SafeSign 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. Chapters00:00 Introduction to Alex's Journey02:49 The Catalyst for Becoming a Lawyer05:36 Navigating Law School and Early Advocacy08:07 The Appeal of Big Law Firms10:31 The Impact of Rising Salaries in Law13:14 The Shift in the Legal Market Dynamics15:45 Starting a Tech Business During a Training Contract18:22 Building a Legal Tech Startup20:56 Balancing Work and Startup Life22:58 The Challenges of a Dual Career29:30 Navigating Dual Careers: Law and Entrepreneurship31:50 Pivoting to Legal AI: The Birth of a Startup35:18 Building a Legal-Specific AI Model39:21 Funding and Team Dynamics in a Startup42:49 Acquisition Talks: The Thomson Reuters Interest49:52 Life After Acquisition: New Beginnings at Thomson Reuters54:36 Advice for Aspiring Lawyer-EntrepreneursAbout Non-BillableNon-Billable is an email newsletter and media company for modern legal professionals, brought to you by a small team of former City lawyers and finance professionals.Visit our website: https://www.nonbillable.co.uk/