We love legal, almost as much as we love building software

Our Story

Our time in BigLaw firms showed us the gross inefficiencies in engaging outside counsel - for both corporate and law firms. In the age of technology, where other departments and industries are using sophisticated tools and automated workflows, we couldn’t understand how the legal function was still stuck in manual processes and spreadsheets.

January 2016
January 2016 Jim ​decides not to die wondering. Resigns as a partner of BigLaw. 💼
April 2016
April 2016 PERSUIT founded​ ​in Melbourne, Australia.
November 2016
November 2016 First product release​. Crickets.​ 🤦
January 2017
January 2017 Second product release. More crickets. 😲
July 2017
July 2017 This (sh*t) is hard. 🤔
September 2017
September 2017 PERSUIT’s first (paying) customer. Microsoft (A&NZ). The toughest $15k we've ever earned. Not quite what's needed to keep the lights on.
October 2017
October 2017 PERSUIT fails in Australia. Miserably. The cash will soon run out. Jim packs his bags and relocates to the US. It's Do or Die. PERSUIT engages JJELLYFISH.
December 2017
December 2017 We think we might be onto something. 👌
April 2018
April 2018 PERSUIT lands Walmart - the world’s largest company. ✊
September 2018
September 2018 37 of Global 50 Law Firms have submitted proposals on PERSUIT. ⚖
October 2018
October 2018 Shell selects PERSUIT after a global RFP for a best of breed solution. 🙌
April 2019
April 2019 British Telecom (BT) also selects PERSUIT after a global RFP. 🕺
May 2019
May 2019 PERSUIT launches its 'Kill-Bill-Able Hour' campaign at CLOC Vegas (and the fire warden is forced to turn away attendees at PERSUIT's demo session). 👨‍🚒
June 2019
June 2019 82 of the Global 100 and 112 of the Global 200 Law Firms have submitted proposals on PERSUIT. 🌐
July 2019
July 2019 PERSUIT partners with 15+ Fortune 100 companies. 🚀 👊
October 2019
October 2019 PERSUIT on fire, landing JLL, Corteva, Citi, Allergan and Facebook! 🔥
December 2019
December 2019 Twilio and Square join the PERSUIT family. 👪
February 2020
February 2020 PERSUIT named as the most widely used legal RFP software in HBR's Annual Survey of 225 law departments
March 2020
March 2020 PERSUIT named at #6 in Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies (Enterprise). Previous #6's include Atlassian, Slack and DocuSign. WTF? 🏆
April 2020
April 2020 COVID-19 hits, big-time. Businesses to decide whether to play defense or offense. PERSUIT doubles down on offense!
May 2020
May 2020 PERSUIT named as most widely used RFP and e-Auction software in the 2020 Buying Legal Council Market Intelligence Report.
August 2020
August 2020 Intel, TD Bank, and Stryker join the party! 🎉
October 2020
October 2020 PERSUIT launches the D&I Module, making it easier for Legal Departments to invite diverse firms to compete for work.
November 2020
November 2020 Over 1,000 law firms have responded to RFPs on PERSUIT, including 98% of the Global200 💼
December 2020
December 2020 HSBC, Europe’s largest bank, chooses to roll out PERSUIT globally. Happy Holidays!! 🏦
May 2021
May 2021 UBS joins HSBC, Citibank, and TD Bank in the banking sector's global rollout of PERSUIT
June 2021
June 2021 The total value of law firm proposals put through PERSUIT reaches $3.2B, of which 89% were AFA arrangements (industry average - 16%). Are we still a start-up? 🚀
September 2021
September 2021 Total value of law firm proposals put through PERSUIT breaks the $4B mark 👊
October 2021
October 2021 PERSUIT announces its $20M Series A round with OpenView Partners (here). We even get a write-up in the AFR (here)! The PERSUIT Rocket ship is fully fuelled and launched!
November 2021
November 2021 PERSUIT announces global partnership with Deloitte to Transform Legal Department External Spend and Financial Management 🤝
March 2022
March 2022 PERSUIT establishes a Dream Team Strategic Advisory Board. Check it out here!
April 2022
April 2022 PERSUIT hits 50 customers, most of them in the F100! Yippee!! (We know 50 doesn't sound like many, but if you really knew how hard this gig is...😉)
May 2022
May 2022 The PERSUIT team descends on CLOC Vegas doubling down on its 2019 'Kill Bill-Able-Hour' campaign (Vol II). No imagination you say? When you're on a good thing...😉
June 2022
June 2022 Stay tuned, we're about to launch something pretty, pretty AWESOME...
July 2022
July 2022 So what happens when you raise capital? You spend it on talent! And that’s exactly what we’ve done. PERSUIT grows from 39 PERSUITERs at the end of 2021 to 85+ strong today (That’s 100%+ growth for those of you not so good with numbers).
August 2022
August 2022 Still waiting on the AWESOME launch we mentioned in June 2022? Yeah, so are we. This sh*t always takes longer than you think.
October 2022
October 2022 Remember that AWESOME launch we mentioned? Well, it happened! Firm Recommender goes live to all customers of PERSUIT.
October 2022
October 2022 PERSUIT & Sanofi win the Buying Legal Council 2022 Legal Procurement Teamwork Award! Click here to read more!
January 2023
January 2023 PERSUIT launches The PERSUIT 50 — ranking the top most trusted firms on our platform. 48 hours. 500+ downloads. *Status quo shudders*
April 2023
April 2023 PERSUIT airs its 100th episode of the Innovative Legal Leadership Podcast, with PERSUIT’s own COO and General Counsel, Michelle Landy, joining Jim as his guest. No one is hurt (we think 🤔) in the making of the show.
May 2023
May 2023 AI, Here We Come!! 🤖👊 PERSUIT launches ChatGPT-powered Proposal Analyzer in record time, debuting its capabilities to many dropping jaws at 2023’s Las Vegas CLOC.
May 2023
May 2023 Jim has to go lay down after hosting Moderna’s Shannon Thyme Klinger for a record-setting discussion on AI and in-house legal teams (recording here). PERSUIT’s U.S.-based team and 1,500+ registrants also learn what “Gazumped” means.
June 2023
June 2023 As momentum continues to swell, PERSUIT attracts two best-in-class executives to its leadership team, adding Ed Bannigan as CRO, and Carmel Smith as SVP of Customer Experience.
September 2023
September 2023 PERSUIT crosses $10 billion in total proposal value sent through the platform. Jim reflects on the gravity of this milestone and what it means for the change taking place in the legal industry. After a moment of gratitude, it's quickly back to work for Jim and the PERSUIT team.
October 2023
October 2023 As AI in legal continues to gain momentum, the Financial Times shouts out PERSUIT as a leading example of legal technology using AI to advance business goals. You can read the full article here.
December 2023
December 2023 PERSUIT rounds out its leadership team with two world-class hires in that of CMO Andy Nester and CFO Rob Potter.
January 2024
January 2024 NEWSFLASH: PERSUIT's pragmatists concede the billable hour is still here (for now) causing our clients pain. What can we do to help?!!! Introducing Rate Review Pro. The solution for corporate teams looking to centralise and streamline the rate negotiation process from cradle to grave.
August 2024
August 2024 A new power couple joins the world of in-house legal tech. 💪🏼 PERSUIT adds Price Benchmarking to its new and improved Rate Review Pro. In-house teams can now capture, compare, and negotiate rates at scale — AND know how those rates compare to the market at large.
October 2024
October 2024 Customers Shell, JLL, Wells Fargo, Heineken, BASF, Anglo American feature in the WSJ on their new operating model for working with firms (hint: it has something to do with PERSUIT 😉).

Built on principles

Collaboration – 3

We put the customer at the center of everything we do

Adventurous – 3
Our culture is based on trust, respect & inclusion
Real – 9

We take ownership of delivering outcomes

Compare – 3

We seek feedback and transparency

PERSUIT Team

Leadership

Our leadership team consists of lawyers and engineers, providing our team with an acute understanding of the unique requirements of legal and technology, to build a platform that even lawyers love.

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