The Abstract

How are marketplaces for legal work transforming the way that we work and the way that we live, creating opportunities for a better match between what you need from work and the work that you do?Join Lawtrades co-founders Raad Ahmed and Ashish Walia, as they discuss their path from dissatisfied law school graduates to running a powerhouse legal services startup that links white collar freelancers to legal departments, with $9.7 million in venture backing and $12 million in annual recurring revenue.Listen as Raad and Ashish talk about taking the leap to start a company, making difficult business pivots, working with leading startup accelerators, bringing the management suite into the gig economy, democratizing opportunities for entrepreneurial lawyers, building strong relationships with clients and investors, and much more.Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-76Topics:Introduction: 0:00Why two start-up founders went to law school: 2:04Deciding to go all in on your start-up: 5:46Participating in the 500 Startup accelerator: 10:49Pivoting your business model to match talent with legal departments: 17:58Is gig work good for workers?: 20:33Cultivating a diverse and gender equitable talent pool: 25:18Removing administrative burden for independent legal professionals: 28:17Changing course and enduring layoffs: 30:09Getting buy-in from team members and investors: 35:30Managing stressful times in business and coming out the other side: 39:56What’s next for Lawtrades?: 43:34Rapid-fire questions: 46:36Book recommendations: 50:13What you wish you’d known as a young founder: 53:19Connect with us:Raad Ahmed - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raadahmed/Ashish Walia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishwalia1/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

What are the top books that every legal leader needs to read to succeed in the new year?  At the close of each episode, Tyler asks our guests what book they would recommend to our audience, and we’re kicking off 2025 with this year’s list of must-read books that you need to check out. Listen to hear titles that these CEOs, start-up founders, and GCs can’t live without.   Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-75  Topics: Introduction: 0:00  Joe Green, Chief Innovation Officer Gunderson Dettmer, recommends Leading Professionals: Power, Politics, and Prima Donnas by Laura Empson: 0:42  Rachel Olchowka, General Counsel & Chief People Officer at Fetch recommends Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility by Patty McCord: 1:34  Dan Haley, General Counsel at Guild Education recommends Helping Your Business Win by  Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford: 2:39  Chelsea Grayson, Managing Partner at Pivot, recommends Quench Your Own Thirst: Business Lessons Learned Over a Beer or Two by Jim Koch: 5:51Aaron Gregory, CEO of Upwardly, recommends The Right It: Why So Many Ideas Fail and How to Make Sure Yours Succeed by Alberto Savoia: 7:38Jasmine Singh, General Counsel at Ironclad, recommends The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds--Not Crushes--Your Soul by Brad Stulberg: 10:03Sean West, Co-Founder of Hence Technologies, recommends The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma by Michael Bhaskar and Mustafa Suleyman: 12:56Jules Polonetsky, CEO of Future of Privacy, recommends: Privacy Is Hard and Seven Other Myths by JH Hoepman: 14:17Heath Tarbert, Chief Legal Officer at Circle, recommends The Enchiridion of Epictetus: 14:57Matt Tanielian, Co-Founder of Franklin Square Group, recommends How to Talk Dirty and Influence People: An Autobiography by Lenny Bruce: 16:21Connect with us: Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinn SpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraft   SpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues.   Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

What’s the best advice you can offer to young lawyers who are just starting their careers? What do you wish you’d known then that you know now?These are the questions we ask each of our guests at the end of every episode of The Abstract. Listen to some of our favorite answers from the legal leaders and C-suite executives who visited the podcast in 2024 and hear tips about trusting your gut, building strong relationships, taking surprising career paths, and much more.Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-74Topics:Introduction: 0:00Adam Greenberg, former General Counsel at Warby Parker and Ro, on being a lawyer who doesn’t litigate: 0:33Christine Uri, founder of ESG for In-House Counsel, on the value of building relationships: 1:24Jasmine Singh, General Counsel at Ironclad, on trusting your gut: 2:54Matt Campobasso, General Counsel at Enfusion, on exploring self-doubt: 4:15Sarah Feingold, playwright and former counsel at Etsy and Vroom, on not doing everything yourself: 6:33Chelsea Grayson, Managing Partner at Pivot >, on centering business solutions: 8:26Ben Klein, CEO at Aero, on not putting pressure on yourself: 9:59Joe Green, Chief Innovation Officer at Gunderson Dettmer, on experimenting early in your career: 11:23Kristin Sverchek, President of Lyft, on imposter syndrome: 13:46Connect with us:Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

How do you avoid common mistakes in commercial contract negotiation? What about in drafting? And how can you get better at and find more joy in commercial contracting?Join Laura Frederick, Founder and CEO of How to Contract, as she goes deep on all things contracts—everything from how to avoid common mistakes to tips for supercharging your negotiating skills.Listen as Laura talks about her career in contracts working for top energy and renewable companies like Tesla and SolarCity, making the leap to start her own law firm and training business, establishing a yearly conference about all things contracts, and more.Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-73Topics:Introduction: 0:00Why Laura chose contracts as her core practice area: 5:52Drafting contracts for energy and renewables: 10:17Laura’s favorite types of deals: 13:54Contract drafting tips and tricks: 15:39Considering a more generalist role: 17:50Common mistakes during contract drafting: 23:19How to negotiate more effectively: 25:10Tips for breaking a negotiating log jam: 27:59Lessons from mentors: 33:03Founding How to Contract: 36:39Leaving Tesla to make the leap to business owner: 40:06Focusing on mental health: 44:19Finding Laura’s businesses online: 51:10Rapid-fire questions: 54:08What Laura wishes she’d known as a young lawyer: 55:12Connect with us:Laura Frederick - https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurafredericklaw/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

What do you need to know about managing government affairs for heavily regulated, high growth brands? Is it perhaps the most interesting part of a GC's job? And will it actually lead you to Washington D.C. or maybe other slightly less glamorous cities?Join Adam Greenberg, Advisor and Fractional General Counsel at APG Advising, as he shares lessons from years as top in-house counsel at healthcare start-ups Warby Parker and Ro about lobbying state legislatures to make telehealth more accessible to customers across the United States.Listen as Adam discusses the legal needs of direct-to-consumer businesses, working with lobbyists and legislators at a state level, sharing notes with your closest competitors to change regulations, destigmatizing embarrassing medical topics, and much more.Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-72Topics:Introduction: 0:00Deciding to become a start-up lawyer: 2:56Dealing with government affairs issues at Warby Parker: 7:15Lobbying state legislatures: 10:35Going state to state with a small budget: 19:16Becoming the first legal hire at Ro: 26:30Building out the legal team at Ro: 30:08Talking with legislators about erectile dysfunction medication: 37:10Lobbying for direct-to-consumer brands: 42:51Does the CEO need to be involved in state lobbying?: 45:21What Adam is up to now: 47:39Rapid-fire questions: 48:54Book recommendations: 52:29What Adam wishes he’d known as a young lawyer: 53:47Connect with us:Adam Greenberg - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgreenberg3/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

What does a Data Protection Officer do? How is it different from your privacy counsel? And how might a DPO help your company with cutting-edge issues like regulations around facial recognition or biometrics?Join Paul Collier, data protection officer at The DPO Centre, as he shares how the skills he gained as a front-line police officer have helped him counsel clients on how to balance complex privacy regulations with business goals.Listen as Paul discusses how companies can use facial recognition technology while safeguarding privacy, how in-house legal departments can work best with DPOs, his side hustle as a part-time semi-professional football referee, and much more.Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-71Topics:Introduction: 0:00Working as a front-line police officer: 2:00What does a Data Protection Officer do?: 6:06Considerations when hiring a DPO: 9:26Counseling companies on facial recognition: 11:33Should governments regulate facial recognition technology?: 16:00How DPOs manage expectations with resistant clients: 20:36How DPOs can work effectively with legal departments: 23:49Becoming a semi-professional football referee: 25:23Rapid-fire questions: 30:06Book recommendations: 32:13What Paul wishes he’d known as a young lawyer: 33:33Connect with us:Paul Collier - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-collier-a2121056/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

If you're in the C-Suite, what do you really need to know about ESG? Is ESG the new privacy? And should ESG really be so controversial?Join Christine Uri, founder of ESG for In-house Counsel, as she explains the importance of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) to both public and private companies in today’s global regulatory climate.Listen as Christine draws on more than a decade offering sustainability solutions to her corporate clients to explain how GCs can advocate for ESG to fellow executives, why ESG is great for the bottom line, and why, as she puts it, “ESG is the new privacy.”Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-70Topics:Introduction: 0:00What are sustainability solutions?: 4:03The difference between Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental, Social, and Governance: 7:36Why she decided to launch a consulting company?: 10:09Why should ESG matter to in-house counsels?: 11:59Explaining why “ESG is the new privacy:” 15:28How general counsels can advocate for adopting ESG practices: 20:11Is ESG relevant at the board level?: 24:40Why ESG has become politicized in the United States: 26:52What ESG for In-house Counsel offers: 30:43How to advocate for ESG at your company: 33:50Rapid-fire questions: 36:50Book recommendations: 38:29What Christine wishes she’d known as a young lawyer: 40:02Connect with us:Christine Uri - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineuri/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

What does a general manager role involve? How do you establish your company's first international office? And what skills from lawyering can you draw on to do it well?Join Manuel Martinez-Herrera, General Manager and General Counsel at BetterCloud, as he shares his journey from law school in Spain to offices in Argentina and the U.S., to earning an LL.M at Harvard, jumping from big law to in-house counsel, moving beyond the GC role, and opening his company’s first office in Mexico City.Listen as Manuel offers tips for lawyers who want to move into business roles, why it’s important to explore new and different opportunities, the traits that lawyers and software engineers share in common, and more.Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-69Topics:Introduction: 0:00Why did you decide to practice law in United States?: 2:18Gravitating towards in-house legal: 5:10Feeling ready to lead a legal team: 7:32Becoming General Manager at BetterCloud: 11:35Shifting your mindset from legal to business: 13:43Working with software engineers: 15:23Transitioning from advisor to doer: 18:31How has working as GM changed your relationship with the executive team?: 21:57Leading a team through its maturation process: 24:19Investing in company culture: 26:50Tips for listeners thinking of taking a job abroad: 30:07What’s next for Manuel: 32:12Rapid-fire questions: 33:15Book recommendations: 36:23What Manuel wishes he’d known as a young lawyer: 38:50Connect with us:Manuel Martinez-Herrera - https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuel-martinez-herrera-71a2a763/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Have you ever considered quitting your job outright because you felt like you were being pulled farther and farther away from your calling? And then finding your way back through a career change that's very different?Join Jasmine Singh, former Chief Legal and People Officer at Binti, as she shares lessons she learned after taking time away from the legal profession about how to recalibrate your career to align with your principles and passions, and how a year instructing a spin class landed her the in-house role that led her all the way to the executive suite.Listen as Jasmine discusses knowing when it’s the right time to quit, how to rely on your network and give back back to your community, realigning your career to match your values, getting your foot in the door as in-house counsel, and much more.Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-67Topics:Introduction: 0:00Why Jasmine chose to become a lawyer: 2:36Knowing when to take a break: 5:50Teaching spin classes: 14:06Getting your first in-house role at 24 Hour Fitness: 18:26How to position yourself during an in-house job interview: 21:36Transitioning into tech counsel: 25:29Explaining Binti and it’s mission: 30:59Fulfilling a philanthropic mission with Dincert Movement: 36:22Tips for people who feel stuck at work: 40:29Rapid-fire questions: 42:54Book recommendations: 44:19What Jasmine wishes she’d known as a young lawyer: 47:35Connect with us:Jasmine Singh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-singh-b4a25274/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

What is the transition like from government service to a C-suite leadership role at a cutting edge tech company? How are regulators thinking about crypto and other financial innovations? And is public service something that's still inspiring or something that we ought to aspire to?Join Heath Tarbert, Chief Legal Officer and Head of Corporate Affairs at Circle, as he draws on his extensive and prodigious career in public service–serving as Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commision, associate White House counsel, Supreme Court clerk, special counsel to the Senate Banking Committee, and more–to break down the legal side and wide-ranging impacts of financial markets around the globe.Listen as Heath discusses the intersection between law, finance, and public policy, the future of cryptocurrency, the value of humility, and much more.Read detailed summary:  https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-67Topics:Introduction: 0:00Building a career around banking and financial markets: 8:53Being picked to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission: 16:50Advice to young people considering careers in politics and public service: 22:13Breaking down CFTC regulation of cryptocurrencies: 30:17Why the CFTC chose to engage with cryptocurrencies: 37:26Why Heath joined Circle as Chief Legal Officer: 41:40Should lawyers move beyond legal into business operator roles?: 47:15Rapid-fire questions: 49:16Book recommendations: 53:31What Heath wishes he’d known as a young lawyer: 55:21Connect with us:Heath Tarbert - https://www.linkedin.com/in/heath-tarbert-b2140a15/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading contract lifecycle management platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.