Executive Summary
Raad Ahmed is the Founder and CEO of Lawtrades, a legal technology company based in the Greater New York City area that is pioneering a new work model for the $100 billion legal industry. As an entrepreneur and legal professional, Ahmed co-founded Lawtrades with Ashish Walia, both law school graduates, aiming to transform how businesses access and utilize legal services via an on-demand, technology-enabled marketplace.
Professional Role and Company Leadership
Raad Ahmed serves as the Chief Executive Officer and is recognized as the principal visionary behind Lawtrades. Under his leadership, Lawtrades has achieved significant growth milestones:
- Successfully raised over $9.7 million in funding, including a $6 million Series A round in December 2021 supported by more than 100 top investors, customers, and operators.
- Scaled the platform to a $16 million annual recurring revenue (ARR) as of early 2025.
- Built a highly efficient and asynchronous team of 20 members while managing operations remotely.
- Navigated the company through a near-bankruptcy crisis around 2021 by adapting product-market fit and pivoting the company’s go-to-market strategy.
Company Description and Market Position
Lawtrades operates an online hiring marketplace for freelance and contract legal services. The platform connects businesses—especially mid-market and enterprise-sized hyper-growth technology companies with small legal departments—to a diverse, pre-vetted, cost-effective network of legal professionals. The model economic empowers independent contractors by enabling them to monetize their legal expertise flexibly.
Key highlights of Lawtrades’ platform and impact:
- Over 60,000 hours of work logged in 2021, representing a 200% growth rate year-over-year at that time.
- Achieved $11 million in contractor payouts via the platform by early 2022.
- Recognized for advancing diversity and inclusion within the legal profession; the community on the platform comprises 37% racial minorities, significantly higher than industry averages.
- Lawtrades' technology incorporates advanced AI-driven legal workflow automation, aimed at simplifying contract drafting, deadline tracking, and compliance risk identification via AI agents. This represents a fundamental shift in legal product design and user interaction.
Thought Leadership and Public Advocacy
Raad Ahmed is a published author and thought leader in startup funding, legal tech innovation, and founder psychology. His published works and public commentary include:
- Articles on startup funding strategies, legal entrepreneurship, and practical advice for founders published on platforms such as Huffington Post, Inc., Forbes, Newsweek, and Quora.
- Frequent podcast guest and interviewee, including appearances on "Meet the Entrepreneur," "LIMITLESS LAWYER," and the "Growth Hacking Podcast," where he discusses startup growth, legal industry disruption, and leadership challenges.
- Publicly shares Lawtrades’ financials and operational insights on social media and professional forums to promote transparency and community engagement.
- Active participant and speaker in legal technology and startup ecosystems, including Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards and industry roundtables.
Education and Background
- Attended law school and is a graduate of the University at Buffalo and studied at 500 Startups (2015-2016).
- Completed legal fellowship programs such as the NYU Charles H. Revson Law Student Public Interest Fellowship (2011-2013).
Recognitions and Awards
- Awarded Quora Top Writer of 2017 for contributions related to entrepreneurship and startup insights.
- Honored at the 2025 Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards for contributions to legal innovation and promoting diversity within the legal tech sector.
Strategic Focus and Recent Developments
- Pivoted in 2019 from serving primarily startups and small businesses to targeting mid-market and enterprise customers, focusing on companies with rapidly scaling legal teams requiring flexible and cost-effective legal talent solutions.
- Recently onboarded Tommie Tavares-Ferreira as Chief Strategy Officer to further accelerate Lawtrades’ strategic growth and product innovation.
- Embracing the evolving AI-human workflow dynamic where the company focuses on building software that manages AI agents capable of automating complex legal workflows while maintaining human oversight.
- Advocates for leadership approaches that emphasize founder perseverance, transparent culture building, and mindful work environments within the legal profession.
Social and Professional Presence
- LinkedIn: [linkedin.com/in/raadahmed](https://www.linkedin.com/in/raadahmed) with 18,000+ followers and over 500 connections.
- Public website and personal blog presenting insights on entrepreneurship and law: [raadahmed.com](https://www.raadahmed.com/)
- Active on social platforms sharing updates about legal tech, startup advice, and company milestones.
- Hosts and participates in podcasts and panel discussions to promote legal innovation and workforce diversity.
Summary
Raad Ahmed is an experienced legal entrepreneur who combines deep legal knowledge, technical innovation, and growth-driven leadership to transform the delivery of legal services. His company, Lawtrades, stands as a leading example of how technology and marketplace economics are creating new employment models for legal professionals and enabling businesses to efficiently scale legal operations. His emphasis on transparency in financials, diversity inclusion, and AI-enabled workflows positions Lawtrades as a disruptive innovator in the traditional $100 billion legal industry.
