Freelance lawyer service Lawyers On Demand (LOD) received 2,400 applications ahead of launching Spoke, an online service that matches lawyers to clients that has been dubbed Tinder Law.
Spoke goes live today (14 July ) with 600 lawyers available to match-up with clients on a simple daily rate, beating a 500-lawyer target the firm set itself ahead of the launch. Over 2,400 attempted to sign-up to the service, with 75% of those who applied to join Spoke ultimately rejected as LOD bids to offer Big Law quality but at smaller prices. The service is targeted at law firms that have overspill work, or work unprofitable to carry out at premium rates, and corporates looking to carry out small legal tasks and projects without the costs associated with using a major firm.
Over 50 corporates, including law firms, banks and hedge funds, have signed up to use the service. Commercial & technology lawyers are most readily available, with 303 listed individuals. The site also offers 114 dispute resolution lawyers, 108 real estate lawyers and 108 corporate lawyers.
Users list their previous experience, the period of time they have been qualified as a lawyer and their location. Former lawyers at Slaughter and May, Linklaters, Herbert Smith Freehills, DLA Piper, Mishcon de Reya, Eversheds, Mayer Brown, WilmerHale, Olswang and Pinsent Masons have all signed up.
Simon Harper, co-founder of LOD and creator of Spoke (pictured) said: ‘We exceeded our target of registering 500 lawyers on spoke.law by the summer, while maintaining the high quality of lawyers available on the platform. Spoke is about opening up the flexible legal market and from today legal teams can intelligently and easily search a wide range of lawyers and hire them on simple terms. We’re now looking forward to working with teams as they use Spoke, find the lawyers they need and feedback so we can make their experience better and better.’
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk