Immediation

Our SaaS For Lawyers & Legal Grew 6X In The Last Year [2,000% User Growth]

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Laura Keily

Founder, Immediation

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Immediation

immediation.com

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started March 2017

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Hello, my name is Laura Keily. I am a Barrister at the Victorian Bar and the Founder and Managing Director of the Australian legal-tech platform, Immediation.

I launched Immediation in 2019 to make justice more accessible to all. Turning the tide on a highly traditional, face-to-face industry, Immediation provides purpose-built digital legal environments that enable the judiciary, lawyers, and neutral parties to seamlessly handle complex legal interactions entirely online. It can mirror and extend courtrooms, tribunals, mediation, and arbitration centers to the virtual realm with efficiency, capability, and control.

In its service offering, Immediation provides cost-effective solutions for dispute resolution outside of court. It resolves the uncertainty of current dispute resolution processes with fixed fees that are proportional to the value of the dispute, and timeframes that cut years of court processes down to just days or weeks. The platform also offers access to a global panel of 140 experts, from former senior judges, top Tribunal members, QCs/SCs, barristers, arbitrators, mediators, and leading lawyers from top-tier and boutique specialist firms.

Launching a legal-tech startup has been a rollercoaster ride, but I’m proud of the strides we’ve made, particularly during a time of immense technical disruption. In two years, we’ve partnered with three of Australia’s top courts, VCAT, Microsoft, and New Zealand government agencies including the Ministry of Justice, Sports NZ, and Domain Name Commissioner of NZ. In the last 12 months alone, Immediation has increased its revenue by 6x year-on-year and seen user growth increase by 2,000%, a testament to our team’s constant dedication, creativity, and hard work.

What's your backstory and how did you get into entrepreneurship?

What drove me to become an entrepreneur and what continues to drive me years later is the accessibility and affordability of justice and dispute resolution.

Having spent two decades as a lawyer both here and in the UK, I became frustrated after seeing, time and time again, the pitfalls of resolving a dispute. Lengthy, expensive, and at times needlessly complex, the process of resolving an issue can cost small businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars, which at times is much more than the value of the dispute itself, and can be incredibly detrimental to business relationships.

I knew that by using technology I could help more people and businesses access justice. From streamlining the court process, and reducing backlogs, to addressing the intimidation and emotional trauma associated with giving in-person evidence —I was inspired to create a solution to help legal professionals and dispute resolution bodies deliver justice more effectively.

Take us through your entrepreneurial journey. How did you go from day 1 to today?

The launch of Immediation is the culmination of 4 years of development and the brainpower of experts with over 150 years of combined experience in the legal industry.

After seeing the need to create an innovative solution to facilitate fast and efficient dispute resolution, I engaged former Google engineers and together we designed the first platform of its kind.

Then came a period of testing and learning. Ahead of the launch of Immediation, we conducted an extensive pilot client program with top General Counsel from over 20 companies including Coca-Cola Amatil, Uber, and Orora, through which General Counsel was integrally involved in the development process.

We also trialed one-off mediations in mid-2019, which helped us adapt and refine the business model, target market, and positioning ahead of launching the platform to market late that year.

The rise of COVID-19 in 2020 was a turning point. As industries were forced to move online overnight, our team pivoted quickly to address the immediate concerns of the legal industry and provide a blueprint for a seamless transition online. We partnered with three of Australia’s top courts, as well as several tribunals and national bodies, helping address over a thousand matters and mediations that would otherwise have been adjourned.

How are you doing today and what does the future look like?

In two years since the commercial launch, we have achieved significant growth as a business and began expanding into new international markets. By remaining agile, honing on our specialist expertise, and never losing sight of our purpose, we have expanded our operations in Australia and entered New Zealand and the United States, all while helping a critical industry overcome the challenges brought about by COVID-19. We’ve also connected regional Australians with the NT Local Courts and supported national bodies including Sport NZ, the Ministry of Justice, and the NZ Domain Commission to provide affordable dispute resolution in housing, sports, and domain names sectors.

Immediation’s team now comprises more than 40 staff in 5 countries. We’re laser-focused on building an impactful global business and are expanding to the US so we can provide even greater capability to dispute resolution bodies at an even larger scale.

COVID-19 proved the potential Immediation has in delivering greater affordability and efficacy to the practice of law, and we’re now driving that momentum forward into 2022.

Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?

My biggest takeaway from building a start-up is the importance of surrounding yourself with the best people that you can. You must have a cohesive team who are equally passionate about your goals and are strong enough to join you on what some would call a “bumpy ride”.

Find something you are passionate about or a change you want to make, and throw everything you can at making it happen.

The team we’ve created to drive Immediation is exceptional. Their combined experience in the legal industry helps them to understand firsthand the issues we are aiming to overcome. More importantly, they’ve helped to foster a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration. Experience in business, tech development, and change management are important, but ultimately it’s the discretionary effort they put in that unites them.

What platform/tools do you use for your business?

As a fast-growing tech startup, we are often working at a breakneck pace, so having the right project management tools that provide clear transparency across the team is essential. We use Monday.com to enable collaboration and oversight over each teams’ tasks and workflows. To ensure our service desk is operating smoothly, we also use Jira.

Alongside Gmail and GSuite for secure email and document management, a tool that has been incredibly useful for networking purposes is LinkedIn. It’s been great to connect with colleagues in the legal space and share the exciting things we’re doing, as well as stay up-to-date on the latest ideas and industry insights.

What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?

Building a business is a challenging and at times solitary experience, so hearing how those before you have navigated impossible decisions and the trials and tribulations of startup life can feel comforting. A book that stands out to me is The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz.

Another one I often return to is Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason and the Gap between them by Joshua Greene. It is an insightful read, diving into the human condition, morality, why we are where we are and a potential roadmap for figuring out the biggest issues we face as a global community.

Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?

Find something you are passionate about or a change you want to make, and throw everything you can at making it happen. Research investment options, attend conferences aimed at clarifying how to get into the market, and network constantly.

Even at the best of times, building a start-up will always have its challenges so I also recommend surrounding yourself with intelligent and passionate people to believe in you and your idea. You must have a cohesive team that has a clear understanding of the issues that you are aiming to overcome and the commitment to join you through the highs and lows of starting a new venture. There will be many, many hurdles in front of you, but with the right team behind you, you’ll be resilient.

Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?

We’re in an exciting period of growth and looking for intelligent and ambitious professionals across engineering, product, and sales ready to be part of a company at the forefront of legal technology.

To stay up-to-date with our openings, check out our Jobs page on Linkedin, or reach out via our Contact page.

Where can we go to learn more?

Connect with me via Linkedin. You can learn more about Immediation here.