This week, we’re talking to Will Norton, the founder and CEO of SimplyAgree, a platform that automates the administrative tasks of a closing—from signature packets to closing binders—so attorneys can focus on getting deals done for their clients. Will’s legal journey began in undergrad, where he double-majored in math and computer science while taking philosophy and history courses. After realizing he wanted to work at the intersection of computer science and law, he went on to law school and became an M&A attorney at Baker Donelson. There, he was part of a business technology subgroup, advising startups and emerging, high-tech companies. Understanding the pain points of transactional attorneys, he later developed SimplyAgree as a way to streamline the signing and closing process for complex transactions.
In our conversation, Will discusses his experience at the 2024 LegalTech Fund Summit, how he founded SimplyAgree, the impact of generative AI on the legal tech space, and what he considers “the job of the startup founder.”