Source: BloomberLaw
Trust & Will, a legal technology company that has put its general counsel on television to advertise its estate planning expertise, has hired Douglas Luftman for the newly created role of chief legal officer.
Trust & Will doesn’t provide legal services but works with a variety of estate planning professionals, including lawyers, to provide a “cost-effective solution” for its customers.
Trusts and estates groups in Big Law have had mixed fortunes over the last decade, with some large firms choosing to get out of the practice, as others pursue industry rainmakers. The client base those firms serve, however, is just a sliver of the overall population, usually the ultra-rich. Trust & Will is hoping to fill a void by making trusts and estates law accessible to the masses, Luftman said.
“Over 60% of those in the US are without a will and this is even higher in minority communities and for those who can’t afford such services,” said Doug Luftman, who during a 25-year career has worked closely with law firms.
The startup secured additional funding this month from the venture capital arms of Comcast Corp. and Erie Insurance following another $15 million fundraising last year led by American Express Co.’s venture unit. That brought Trust & Will’s total financing to more than $50 million since it was co-founded in 2017 by current CEO Cody Barbo.
Barbo and Trust & Will general counsel J. Patrick Hicks have both appeared in online and television commercials touting the company’s digital estate planning and settlement platform. Hicks will remain in his general counsel job while continuing to moonlight as a company pitchman. “He’s just got that star power on top of his brain power,” said Trust & Will spokeswoman Danielle Nuzzo.
Read full article: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/estate-planning-legal-tech-firm-trust-will-taps-top-lawyer
