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LegalZoom.com, Inc.
Company typePublic
Industry
FoundedMarch 12, 2001; 24 years ago (2001-03-12)
Founders
HeadquartersMountain View, California, U.S.
Area served
United States
Key people
RevenueIncrease US$681.9 million (2024)
Increase US$35.6 million (2024)
Increase US$30.0 million (2024)
Total assetsDecrease US$373.9 million (2024)
Total equityDecrease US$93.3 million (2024)
Number of employees
1,190 (2023)
Websitelegalzoom.com
Footnotes / references
[1][2][3]

LegalZoom.com, Inc. is an American online legal technology and services company launched in 2001.[4] It provides online legal services using an independent network of attorneys and the LegalZoom-owned law firm, LegalZoom Legal Services, as well as self-service technology and care specialists. Services include wills and living trusts,[5] business compliance such as licenses and permits,[6] copyright registrations, and trademark applications. The company also offers attorney referrals and registered agent services.[7]

Cited as a disruption to traditional consumer legal services,[8] the company asserts that it benefits people who otherwise could not hire a lawyer.[9]

LegalZoom was founded by Brian S. Lee,[10] Brian Liu,[11] Edward Hartman,[12] and Robert Shapiro.[13]

Reception

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Based on concerns that LegalZoom's services were a form of legal advice, the North Carolina State Bar issued a cease and desist order in 2008. After an investigation by a special referee, the court determined that LegalZoom's practices "do not constitute the unauthorized practice of law". Similar lawsuits in other states were settled or dismissed.[14]

In 2015, LegalZoom and the North Carolina Bar Association settled years of litigation by agreeing that companies like LegalZoom, which offer automated legal document preparation, will not violate North Carolina's prohibitions against the unauthorized practice of law if the companies register with the state and comply with certain consumer protection procedures.[15] Following the settlement, the US Federal Trade Commission and the US Department of Justice jointly advised the North Carolina Legislature that the state should avoid placing overly broad restrictions on companies that offer computer-facilitated legal services.[16] The two agencies stated that "[i]nteractive software for generating legal forms may be more cost-effective for some consumers, may exert downward price pressure on licensed lawyer services, and may promote the more efficient and convenient provision of legal services. Such products may also help increase access to legal services."[17]

Consumer Reports magazine gave mixed reviews in September 2012 to the computer-aided legal forms generated by LegalZoom and two of its competitors, Nolo (formerly Nolo Press) and Rocket Lawyer, stating that all three companies provided documents "for a fraction of what you'd pay a lawyer". Consumer Reports wrote that "using any of the three services is generally better than drafting the documents yourself without legal training or not having them at all. But unless your needs are simple ... none of the will-writing products is likely to entirely meet your needs." It found in some cases, the other non-will documents weren't specific enough or contained language that could potentially lead to an unintended result.[18]

Recognition

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The company was nominated for the American Bar Association's 2005 Louis M. Brown Award.[19] In 2011, Business Insider ranked LegalZoom 27th on its list of the world's most valuable startups,[20] and in 2012, Fast Company ranked LegalZoom 26th on its list of the most innovative companies.[21]

Growth, acquisitions and partnerships

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LegalZoom announced its initial public offering in 2021 and became the first publicly traded company to own and operate a law firm in the United States.[22] Later that year, the company expanded its network of attorneys following the Arizona Supreme Court approval of an alternative business structure license.[23]

LegalZoom formed a partnership in 2012 with the United Kingdom-based legal services provider QualitySolicitors to jointly offer online legal services in the United Kingdom.[24] In 2014, European private capital firm Permira announced its intent to acquire $200 million in the outstanding equity of LegalZoom and become its largest shareholder;[25] on February 14, 2014, Permira announced that the deal was complete.[26] LegalZoom announced in 2015 they would Beaumont Legal, a 200-year-old firm in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England which describes itself as one of the largest conveyancers in the country.[27]

In 2021, LegalZoom acquired Earth Class Mail, a virtual mailbox service for businesses, for $63 million.[28][29] In 2022, the company acquired Revv, a Global SaaS document automation and form template company based in Bangalore, India.[30] In 2023, they announced a partnership with Novo, a financial technology firm focused on digital banking for small businesses.[31]

In May 2024, LegalZoom entered a partnership with Wix.com, a website builder and web development platorm, offering an all-in-one launch solution for entrepreneurs.[32] That same year, BusinessLoans.com partnered with LegalZoom to provide LegalZoom users with a pathway to compare and apply for small business loans.[33]

LegalZoom acquired Formation Nation, a small business services company focused on business formation and compliance, in 2025,[34] and partnered with Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence company, to enhance its legal technology offerings.[35]

References

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  1. ^ "LegalZoom 2023 Annual Report (Form 10-K)". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. February 29, 2024.
  2. ^ "Leadership: Management Team, Board of Directors, Legal Advisory Board". LegalZoom. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  3. ^ "LegalZoom.com, Inc. (LZ) Financials". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  4. ^ "LLRXBuzz". Archived from the original on February 21, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  5. ^ Bernstein, Fred (May 16, 2002). "Being of Sound Mind, and a $55 Consultation". The New York Times. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  6. ^ "Incorporation: The Web Can Help". PC Magazine. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  7. ^ "Registered agent market share". Northwest Registered Agent, LLC. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  8. ^ Sonderegger, Dean (June 27, 2017). "Want To Know The Future Of Legal Tech? Ask Your Accountant". Above the Law. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  9. ^ Li, Victor (March 17, 2017). "Avvo, LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer CEOs say their products help bridge access-to-justice gap". ABA Journal. American Bar Association. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  10. ^ Chang, Andrea. "Entrepreneur Brian Lee is business partner to the stars". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  11. ^ "Starting a Business in A Down Economy: The LegalZoom Story". legalzoom.com. December 1, 2009. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  12. ^ "Edward Hartman". LegalZoom. May 2, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  13. ^ "First online dating, then online wedding planning, now this". USA Today. January 22, 2004. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  14. ^ Ambrogi, Robert (August 2014). "Latest legal victory has LegalZoom poised for growth". ABA Journal.
  15. ^ Rogers, Joan (July 26, 2016). "N.C. Law Regulates LegalZoom, Other Legal Doc Providers". Bloomberg BNA. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  16. ^ Kroh, Eric (June 13, 2016). "DOJ, FTC Say Legal Documents Software Helps Consumers". Law360 ("A LexisNexis Company"). Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  17. ^ "Joint advisory letter from the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice, re North Carolina HB 436" (PDF). June 10, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2017. [C]onsider the benefits of interactive websites for consumers and competition...
  18. ^ "Legal DIY websites are no match for a pro: They provide services for a fraction of what you'd pay a lawyer". Consumer Reports. September 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  19. ^ "List of Recipients and Nominees - Louis M. Brown Award for [Increasing] Legal Access" (PDF). American Bar Association Standing Committee on The Delivery of Legal Services. 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2005. Nominee: LegalZoom.com
  20. ^ "The 100 Most Valuable Startups In The World, Revamped And Revised!" Business Insider, October 7, 2011.
  21. ^ David Lidsky, "Most Innovative Companies 2012," Fast Company, February 7, 2012.
  22. ^ Singh, Pia (June 30, 2021). "LegalZoom shares jump 35% in market debut; CEO sees further opportunity in online legal services". CNBC. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  23. ^ Merken, Sara (October 1, 2021). "LegalZoom gets Arizona approval for alternative legal biz structure". Reuters. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  24. ^ "LegalZoom to tie up with QualitySolicitors for British launch". The Lawyer. September 20, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
  25. ^ "Permira to take controlling stake in LegalZoom.com". www.reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  26. ^ "Permira Completes $200M LegalZoom Buy". socalTECH. February 14, 2014.
  27. ^ Hyde, John (December 7, 2015). "LegalZoom to make first UK acquisition". The Law Society Gazette. London. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  28. ^ Friel, Katie (November 12, 2021). "California company zooms away with San Antonio tech firm in multimillion-dollar deal". MySA. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  29. ^ "LegalZoom Acquires Leading Virtual Mailbox Provider, Earth Class Mail". investors.legalzoom.com. Glendale, CA. November 10, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  30. ^ "LegalZoom Acquires Document Automation and Forms Template Company". globenewswire.com (Press release). October 17, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  31. ^ Hrushka, Anna (November 30, 2022). "Novo grows customizable small-business banking platform, eyes lending | Banking Dive". www.bankingdive.com. Industry Dive. Informa TechTarget. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  32. ^ Opiah, Abigail (April 28, 2022). "New Wix partnership gives small businesses plenty to celebrate". TechRadar. Future US Inc. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  33. ^ "Legal Tech Rundown: Thomson Reuters partners with NCSC, Ironclad announces alliance with KPMG and more". LegalTech News. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  34. ^ "LegalZoom Announces Acquisition of Formation Nation to Accelerate Go-To-Market Strategy and Expand Portfolio of Small Business Solutions". LegalZoom.com, Inc. (Press release). February 10, 2025. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  35. ^ Ambrogi, Bob (June 5, 2025). "As LegalZoom Partners with Gen AI Company Perplexity to Provide Legal Services, I Ask Perplexity What It All Means | LawSites". www.lawnext.com. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
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