What Hart David Carson LLP does

Hart David Carson LLP is a privately-held, multidisciplinary corporate law firm headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois, operating across eight U.S. offices in Illinois, South Carolina, Texas, Washington DC, and Florida. Founded in 2013, the firm serves a heterogeneous client base spanning individuals seeking personal injury representation, growth-stage businesses needing outside general counsel, PE-backed and pre-IPO companies preparing for major transactions, HNW families requiring estate planning, cryptocurrency exchanges and digital asset ventures, and professional athletes. The practice is organized around 13+ substantive areas including business law and corporate governance, litigation, cryptocurrency, estate planning, asset protection, tax, workers' compensation, immigration, real estate, and esports/gaming law.

The firm operates three distinct delivery models: traditional hourly and contingency-fee engagements across its practice areas; tiered subscription products (Corporate Law On Demand at $2,500-$8,500/month for startups and SMBs, and Corporate Counsel for the Inflection Point at $10,000-$25,000/month for PE-backed and pre-IPO companies); and the Virtual Counsel Network, a distributed platform recruiting independent attorneys across 17 states who retain 70-85% of revenue while leveraging firm infrastructure including Clio practice management and Google Drive. The firm claims $300M+ in cumulative client verdicts and settlements, a 98% success rate, 500+ clients, and $22.4B in cumulative advised transaction value, supported by an earned-media presence across Forbes, CNN, CNBC, Fox News, Inc., and Entrepreneur.

The firm is founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional capital, parent company, or subsidiary structure. Its five named professionals include three shareholders (Brandon Carson Hall, Joel J.H. Funk, Jonathan D. Herpy, Sr.) and two associates (Lisa M. Anderson, Kaitlin King), with operations extending through the Virtual Counsel Network that functions as a channel for additional independent attorneys. The technology stack is conventional professional services SaaS; no proprietary AI, ML, or automation capabilities are evidenced.

Name

Hart David Carson LLP

Legal name

Hart David Carson LLP

Website

https://hartdavidcarson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hart David Carson LLP is a privately-held U.S. law firm offering multidisciplinary legal services across 13+ practice areas, including subscription-based fractional general counsel and a distributed Virtual Counsel Network spanning 17 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Corporate legal advisory
• Business law services
• Personal injury litigation
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Estate planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Elmhurst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Hourly/Contingency: Traditional legal fee structures including hourly billing for business matters and contingency fee arrangements for personal injury cases. Recovery-based model where clients pay nothing upfront for personal injury.
2. Corporate Law On Demand Subscription: Monthly subscription tiers (Launch at $2,500/mo for 5 hours, Scale at $8,500/mo for 20 hours) providing ongoing general counsel access without full-time hire costs. Predictable monthly pricing scales with business needs.
3. Corporate Counsel for Inflection Point: Advisory retainer at $10K-$25K/month for PE-backed and venture-funded companies with continuous board-level access. Transaction-based or hybrid models available for specific deals.
4. Virtual Counsel Network: Revenue share model (70-85%) for attorneys joining the network. HDC provides infrastructure, billing, malpractice coverage, and brand while attorneys keep majority of revenue they generate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hart David Carson LLP delivers diversified corporate and civil legal services across 13+ practice areas including personal injury litigation, business law and corporate governance, cryptocurrency and digital asset regulation, estate planning, asset protection, complex litigation, workers' compensation, tax law, esports and gaming, real estate, and immigration. The firm packages expertise in subscription-based general counsel programs (Corporate Law On Demand at $2,500-$8,500/month; Corporate Counsel for the Inflection Point at $10K-$25K/month) and operates a Virtual Counsel Network allowing independent attorneys to leverage HDC infrastructure and brand in exchange for a 70-85% revenue share arrangement.

Product overview

Hart David Carson LLP is an elite corporate law firm offering a portfolio of legal services structured around three core delivery models: (1) traditional hourly/result-based practice areas covering 13+ major disciplines including Personal Injury, Business Law & Corporate Governance, Cryptocurrency, Estate Planning, Asset Protection, Litigation & Arbitration, Workers' Compensation, Tax, Esports & Gaming, Real Estate, and Immigration; (2) two subscription-based corporate counsel programs — Corporate Law On Demand (tiered monthly plans from $2,500-$8,500+ for 5-20+ hours of on-demand legal support) and Corporate Counsel for the Inflection Point (board-level retainer program at $10K-$25K/month for PE-backed and pre-IPO companies); and (3) the Virtual Counsel Network, a platform enabling independent attorneys to join the firm and keep 70-85% revenue share while accessing HDC infrastructure (Clio, Google Drive). The firm also provides a self-service Online Legal Assessment Questionnaire to match prospective clients with appropriate service lines. Founded in 2013, the firm has recovered $300M+ for clients and operates across 8 office locations in Chicago, Illinois, South Carolina, Texas, Washington D.C., and Miami.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Corporate Law On Demand: On-demand general counsel services for growing companies with flexible monthly plans starting at $2,500/mo.
• Corporate Counsel for the Inflection Point
• Virtual Counsel Network

Products and services

• Corporate Law On Demand Subscription-based fractional general counsel service delivering senior-level corporate attorneys for a fraction of the cost of a full-time in-house counsel. Offers tiered monthly plans ranging from $2,500 (Launch, 5 hours/month) to $8,500+ (Scale, 20 hours/month) to custom Enterprise retainers, covering entity setup, employment contracts, vendor agreements, basic IP protection, M&A support, employment compliance, board governance, and 24-hour priority response for growing companies.
• Corporate Counsel for the Inflection Point Board-level counsel retainer program ($10K-$25K/month) embedding senior attorneys (averaging 17 years of experience) into the leadership cadence of PE-backed and venture-funded companies ($50M-$500M valuation) preparing for M&A, IPO, Series financings, restructurings, or liquidity events. Includes M&A structuring, venture financing, corporate governance, board advisory, SEC compliance, IPO preparation, strategic acquisitions, diligence management, and dedicated partner-level access.
• Virtual Counsel Network Network platform enabling independent attorneys to join as network members and keep 70-85% of revenue they generate. Members gain access to Clio practice management, Google Drive document storage, malpractice coverage, billing and collections, and the Hart David Carson brand, in exchange for sharing a portion of revenue. Onboards approximately 10 attorneys per month and operates across 17 states.
• Personal Injury Legal Services Contingency-fee legal representation for individuals injured by negligence, covering 19+ specialized sub-areas including car accidents, truck accidents, product liability, premises liability, wrongful death, construction accidents, commercial trucking accidents, and automobile accidents. Operates with no fees unless the client recovers, with attorneys achieving multimillion-dollar verdicts such as $4.55M (defective seatbelt) and $1.67M (premises liability).
• Business Law & Corporate Governance Sophisticated corporate and transactional law services covering formation, corporate governance, M&A, outside general counsel, securities regulation, venture capital, private equity, and 8 specialized sub-areas for companies ranging from startups through established enterprises. Includes Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Governance, Intellectual Property, E-Commerce, Cannabis, and Sports & Entertainment sub-services.
• Cryptocurrency & Digital Assets Regulatory legal guidance for digital assets, blockchain technology, and cryptocurrency transactions covering SEC, IRS, and CME compliance, AML/KYC programs, exchange licensing across multiple states, ICO structuring, and 11 specialized sub-areas for crypto exchanges, hedge funds, NFT investors, and digital asset ventures. Includes FinTech counsel for payments, lending, and digital assets.
• Estate Planning Comprehensive estate planning and wealth preservation services including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, charitable trusts, generation-skipping trusts, business succession planning, and 10 specialized sub-areas tailored to family needs and business succession goals for high-net-worth individuals and families.
• Asset Protection Strategic asset protection planning through domestic and international structures, including asset protection trusts, family limited partnerships, captive insurance, and charitable planning, designed to shield wealth from creditors and litigation for individuals and enterprises.
• Litigation & Arbitration Trial-tested representation in complex commercial, healthcare, IP, and employment disputes across state and federal courts and arbitral forums, with 6 specialized sub-areas. Outcomes include a $13.9M business tort verdict and a $4.55M product liability verdict.
• Workers' Compensation Expert representation for workplace injuries and occupational disease claims including medical benefits, disability payments, vocational rehabilitation, and settlement negotiation across 7 specialized industry sub-areas.
• Tax Law Strategic tax planning and controversy resolution covering IRS audits, business tax structuring, international compliance, M&A tax strategy, and 12 specialized sub-areas for federal, state, and international tax matters.
• Esports & Gaming Law Specialized legal services for the gaming and esports industry including player contracts, IP licensing, sponsorship agreements, tournament compliance, and M&A guidance for esports teams, content creators, gaming companies, and professional athletes across the NFL, NBA, MLB, and esports leagues.
• Real Estate Law Full-service real estate legal counsel covering commercial transactions, residential closings, development, financing, leasing, and zoning compliance for investors, developers, and property owners.
• Immigration Law Business immigration services for employers sponsoring foreign nationals and foreign nationals seeking U.S. work authorization, covering employment-based visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1, E-2), green cards, and compliance for multinational corporate transactions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients recover $300M+ in verdicts and settlements
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rocket Lawyer: Subscription-based online legal services platform serving SMBs and individuals. Comparable for HDC's tiered subscription offerings and self-service assessment-driven acquisition funnel.
• Axiom: Subscription-based on-demand legal talent platform providing flexible in-house counsel to enterprises. Directly comparable to HDC's Corporate Law On Demand subscription product in both business model and target customer.
• FisherBroyles: Distributed law firm with hundreds of partner-attorneys across the U.S., sharing infrastructure and overhead — the closest analog to HDC's Virtual Counsel Network model and the underlying economics of attorney-network scale.
• Gunderson Dettmer: Specialized law firm focused on venture capital, private equity, and emerging-growth companies. Directly comparable for HDC's Corporate Counsel for the Inflection Point practice serving PE-backed and pre-IPO companies.

Broad incumbents

• Cooley: Large Am Law firm focused on technology, venture capital, and life sciences. Comparable as an incumbent in HDC's PE-backed/pre-IPO advisory segment, with materially deeper resources.
• LegalZoom: Large online legal services platform serving SMBs with formation, contracts, and compliance products. Comparable as a broader-scope incumbent offering lower-cost alternatives to portions of HDC's business law catalog.
• Wilson Sonsini: Premier Am Law firm for technology and life sciences companies with deep VC/PE practice. Comparable for HDC's M&A, venture financing, and pre-IPO advisory offerings.
• Akerman: Multi-state Am Law 200 firm with offices including Florida, Texas, and Illinois — overlapping with HDC's geographic footprint. Comparable as a broader incumbent serving similar middle-market business clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hart-david-carson
• Xx.com/HartDavidCarson

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hart David Carson LLP