Founders Everywhere: Andrew Guzman
Andrew Guzman is the co-founder & CEO of OpenLaw, a platform that streamlines the process of connecting individuals and businesses with trusted, qualified attorneys tailored to their specific needs.
Welcome to Founders Everywhere, where we highlight the incredible people behind the companies we’ve backed at Everywhere Ventures, a global pre-seed fund supported by a community of 500 founders and operators.
Finding a good lawyer is like searching for a diamond in the rough: time-consuming and frustrating. They exist, but they’re hard to find, expensive, and you can’t always be sure of their true quality. That’s why OpenLaw is democratizing access to legal services. Their platform connects clients to qualified attorneys and streamlines the entire legal process, making it more transparent, efficient, and affordable. Clients can receive proposals from multiple attorneys with clear pricing and strategies, while attorneys gain powerful back-office tools to manage intake, case tracking, and file completion. OpenLaw helps with a wide range of legal matters, from traffic tickets and criminal cases to family law, divorces, and civil actions, so users can get the help they need quickly and confidently. Because everyone deserves the best representation.
Co-founder and CEO Andrew Guzman is an experienced legal entrepreneur, having managed a multi-state law firm for 14 years and developed innovative solutions to make legal services more accessible. He is joined by co-founder and CPO, David Ngo, whom he met through Stanford professor B.J. Fogg. His other co-founder is Abtin Gramian, CTO, who worked with Andrew on a prior project. Together, they combine hands-on legal experience, product strategy, and technical expertise to create a platform that streamlines legal services for both clients and attorneys. They are making legal services truly accessible and affordable for all.
What inspired the creation of OpenLaw?
I came up with the idea for OpenLaw after running a multi-state law practice for 14 years. During that time, I saw the pain points on both sides of the industry. For individuals, finding an attorney is confusing and stressful; there’s no transparency, pricing is unclear, and it’s hard to know who’s good. For attorneys, especially small firms, marketing is so expensive that competing with big firms can be unsustainable. Since two-thirds of the legal industry is made up of solo and small firms, I saw an opportunity to create a platform that connects people who need legal help with lawyers who want to serve them. Smaller firms often don’t carry the same overhead as larger ones, which means they can charge fairer prices while providing the same quality of service.
What’s OpenLaw’s North Star?
Our North Star is to democratize legal services by making them transparent, affordable, and accessible. We measure success by how many people we help who otherwise wouldn’t have access to legal support.
Why will OpenLaw win?
We’re building a solution that streamlines and automates the entire back office for attorneys, from client intake to case management, to successfully closing out files. Right now, this kind of automation doesn’t exist, and it’s sorely needed, especially for small and solo law firms that often lack the resources to manage these processes efficiently. At the same time, our platform makes it easier for people to find, connect with, and work with attorneys, creating a seamless experience that benefits both sides of the legal system.
Tell us about some recent milestones OpenLaw crushed.
We recently raised our $3.5M seed round, which we’ll use to finalize our core offerings and expand OpenLaw to additional states. We’re currently operating in Florida and Texas, and we plan to launch next in Arizona, California, and New York.
We officially launched our attorney directory, making it easier for individuals to find qualified lawyers.
We rolled out our automated marketplace, powered by AI, enabling seamless connections between individuals and attorneys.
How has your background influenced you as a founder?
Growing up, I watched my father go to court without a lawyer. To this day, I believe the facts were on his side, but he lost because he didn’t know the rules and procedures. That moment and a couple of others set me on the path to law.
Then when I was managing a law firm, it bothered me to have to turn away individuals who couldn’t afford our fees. Then I came across a stat that really hit me: 92% of low-income individuals don’t receive the legal help they need and often lose by default, leading to judgments, garnishments, and long-term setbacks in life. That’s why I’m committed to making sure everyone has access to the legal services they need.
Interesting Fact:
I’m a very spiritual person. I really value peace and have a deep love for nature. That’s what keeps me grounded in life.
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