The Vallex Fund / Process

Long considered remote, law is a verdant opportunity for entrepreneurs.

Calls for Change

"Even litigators who frankly admitted that they were becoming wealthy primarily because of fees attributable to discovery expressed amazement and concern about the rapid escalation of the expense of conducting and complying with discovery."

American Bar Foundation
Research Journal (1980)

"Many lawyers now consider, even enjoy using, discovery as a weapon to be employed to damage, obstruct or bully their opponents by any means possible."

Confronting Civil Discovery's Fatal Flaws
(2000)

"Litigation, especially big-bucks trench warfare litigation, is innately highly-levered as associates can be drafted into document production and review almost as massively as the Western Front consumed recruits in 1918."

Leverage: Friend of Foe? (2005)

"...54.6 percent of the respondents (as compared with 40.3 percent in 1995) admitted that they had sometimes performed unnecessary tasks just to bump up their billable output. Ross says that bill padding involves invoicing a client for work never performed - or exaggerating the amount of time spent on a matter - while unnecessary work is that which 'exceeds any marginal utility' to a client."

Study Suggests Significant Billing Abuse (2007)

We Are Seeking Entrepreneurs

The Vallex Fund invests exclusively in young companies targeting the legal market servicing the client, court or law firm. Currently, we are focusing on business models that will help make the civil litigation process more efficient, more effective and more broadly available to those requiring it.

We are seeking entrepreneurs who have a passion for improving our legal system by building a healthy, financially successful enterprise that addresses the weaknesses in our current civil law system.

Building a company is nearly always far more difficult than expected but ultimately incredibly rewarding. That will be particularly true in this market. The task is not for the faint-hearted. There are enormous barriers to entry. Industry practices are deeply entrenched based on traditions going back centuries. Law is conservative and precedent-based, so unlike technology and consumer markets, there are few early adopters in the legal industry.

As the founders, you are the most critical element in building a successful company. If you believe you truly have the vision, the business and management skills and the unyielding drive to be successful, we may be able to help. You can best contact us initially by email. Briefly describe, to the extent you feel comfortable doing so, why you believe your business plan meets our investment objectives. We'll typically respond within two business days. Once both of us agree to pursue the next steps, these suggestions may help you convey your investment opportunity:

Keep it simple. Focus your plan on the core issues.
Describe who the customers are, how you will efficiently reach them and why they will purchase your services.
What are the barriers to entry both for you and your follow-on competitors? Why will you overcome them and your competitors won't?
How much capital will you require before reaching positive cash flow?
What are the major risks in your plan? Have you been realistic in assessing these?
Are you prepared to work harder and make more sacrifices than you likely ever have before?

If we elect to proceed, our goal as a venture investor is to provide you, the entrepreneur, the capital, industry resources and board experience to help make you and your company successful.