Clio, vLex/Fastcase—an Acquisition Made on Shared Values
For me, the Clio acquisition of vLex, and with it the recently merged Fastcase, is all about shared values.
I don’t know Lluis Faus and Angel Faust, the founders of vLex, as well as I know Ed Walters and Phil Rosenthal—the founders of Fastcase and now execs at vLex following Fastcase’s merger into it—and Jack Newton, the founder and CEO of Clio.
I met Ed for the first time in a San Francisco coffee shop in 2004. He was meeting with FindLaw co-founder and my friend Tim Stanley, and I was on my way to speak—about legal blogging for the first time—at a legal marketing tech event.
Ed says he remembers first hearing about legal publishing through blogging that day—standing in the back of the room, pretty amazed. What struck me was meeting a down-to-earth lawyer like Ed, who was already seven years into making primary law more accessible by harnessing technology.
On this week’s acquisition news, Ed said:
For more than a decade, Jack Newton and his team have inspired me with their client-centered orientation and Clio’s mission to transform the legal experience for all. I’m particularly excited about the alignment of vision and values between our companies.
Vision and values.
Jack has championed the importance of values since Clio’s earliest days—values rooted in people. The people you serve. And the people you serve with.
When I first met Jack, it was for coffee in New York City—before Clio had even launched. We didn’t talk about startups; we talked about life. A month later in Toronto, he offered me a ride to the airport and a beer in the Air Canada lounge. That’s Jack.
Over the years, I’ve met much of Clio’s leadership. To a person, they’ve told me the same thing: it was the values—and the mission—that drew them in. Especially the values.
A couple years ago, I wrote about Jack—not a lawyer—driven to make things better for lawyers and the people they serve.
Jack understands that the legal system was built by those working in it—not those trying to use it. He knows that change begins with putting users first. And he delivers, with rare passion and clarity, a roadmap for doing exactly that. His leadership has always been about making things better—for everyone.
These guys also show up when it matters most.
Five years ago, when my wife Jill died from cancer, Ed and Jack—with his wife Tonia, who has served as a leader at Clio—were there for me.
At the urging of my friend Bob Ambrogi, I traveled East to a few legal tech conferences, grieving and uncertain what I was doing. In Chicago, I attended a large Clio party, unsure why I was even there. I walked in, I’m sure in a fog, and saw a hand wave me over. It was Tonia.
For forty-five minutes, I sat in a booth in the back and cried over the table and—I’d guess—on Tonia’s shoulder, just needing someone who cared enough to listen. Anyone who’s lost a loved one knows how important that is.
Some folks who saw us back there said that seemed like an intense conversation you were having. If they only knew.
Since then, both Jack and Tonia have always asked me how I was doing—despite raising three kids and leading a mission-driven company that’s taken Jack around the world.
And Ed? He called regularly after Jill’s death. Unprompted. Evenings. Afternoons. During the pandemic, when I was holed up in my condo, barely holding it together.
“Hi Kevin,” he’d say, “just calling to see how you’re doing and what you’re up to.”
I’d say, “I’m okay, Ed. You don’t have to call.”
And he’d say something like, “I want to. I enjoy talking with you.”
And the truth is—I needed those calls.
Business, like life, is about people. It’s about relationships. It’s about caring. And serving.
The values of Fastcase, vLex, and Clio are more than compatible. They’re bonded by care. And that’s the kind of company that will give Wexis—and others—a run for their money.
Congrats, guys. Couldn’t happen to better people. I’ll be behind you, supporting you, and cheering you on.