First Law International

What First Law International does

First Law International (FLI), founded in 2001 by Orlando Casares and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operates as the European-based hub of FLI NET, a curated network of more than 80 independent national law firms providing 17,000+ lawyers across 100+ jurisdictions. FLI positions itself as a single point of management for multi-jurisdiction legal projects, offering enterprise clients one letter of engagement, one blended hourly rate across regions, one currency, one account, and one consolidated invoice. Its primary customer segments are in-house legal departments of Fortune/multinational corporations, with secondary segments in private equity, venture capital, and technology companies; named logos include Shell, DHL, EY, Hertz, CAT, LaLiga, Stryker, MediaPro, and Skullcandy.

The company's core product is the FLI NET legal services network, supplemented by two proprietary LegalTech platforms: FLightONE, a case and matter management platform enabling real-time case tracking and consolidated billing across jurisdictions; and FLInstitute, a TRACE-accredited compliance training platform supporting anti-bribery and anti-corruption programs via white-label or co-branded delivery. The platforms incorporate AI-assisted features such as NLP-powered legal research, technology-assisted review (TAR) with predictive coding, and contract automation, though these appear to be integrated third-party capabilities rather than proprietary models.

FLI's revenue model is primarily based on a blended hourly rate for legal services across regions under multi-year enterprise contracts, supplemented by professional services fees for legal advisory/consulting engagements and compliance training revenue from FLInstitute. The company is privately held, founder-controlled (Orlando Casares remains CEO), with no disclosed institutional funding or M&A activity, and has operated continuously for 24 years serving 1,000+ businesses in 100 countries.

Name

First Law International

Legal name

First Law International

Website

https://first-law.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Law International is a Brussels-based hub coordinating FLI NET, a network of 80+ independent law firms with 17,000+ lawyers across 100+ jurisdictions, providing enterprise in-house counsel with single-point multi-jurisdiction legal services, case management, and compliance training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cross-Border Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Commercial Law (BPAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI), Environmental & Energy Law (BPAHAAAO), Financial Crime, AML/CFT & Sanctions Compliance (BPAHAFAE), Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance (BPAHAFAN)

Keywords

• Cross-border legal services
• Global law firm network
• Compliance training programs
• Case management platform
• In-house counsel advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Blended Hourly Rate: FLI provides legal services at a blended hourly rate across regions, offering top quality legal advice through a single point of management for all services. Clients benefit from one flat-rate service, one currency, one account, and one consolidated invoice.
2. Legal Advisory & Consulting Services: Bespoke operations models aimed at optimizing corporate structures for legal departments, providing advisory services across multiple jurisdictions.
3. Compliance Training (FLInstitute): TRACE-accredited training programs for compliance covering Anti-corruption and Anti-bribery, delivered through FLI's proprietary platform. Can be white-labeled or co-branded.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

First Law International operates a global network of independent top-ranked law firms (FLI NET) providing cross-border legal services across 100+ jurisdictions, delivered through a single point of management with one flat-rate engagement, one currency, one account, and one consolidated invoice. The company also offers legal advisory and consulting services, proprietary case management technology (FLIghtONE), and TRACE-accredited compliance training (FLInstitute) to corporate legal departments, multinationals, and PE/VC firms.

Product overview

First Law International operates as a global legal services network offering both professional legal services and proprietary technology platforms. The core product portfolio consists of FLI NET (a global network of 17,000+ lawyers across 100+ jurisdictions for full-service legal solutions) supported by two proprietary LegalTech platforms: FLIghtONE for case and matter management, and FLInstitute for compliance training. The platforms work in conjunction with the legal services network to provide end-to-end solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FLI NET: FLI NET is a team of more than 17,000 lawyers in over 100+ jurisdictions across the globe, whose members are available to provide end-to-end bespoke legal solutions.
• FLightONE
• FLInstitute

Products and services

• FLI NET Full Service Legal Solutions End-to-end bespoke legal solutions delivered through a global network of more than 17,000 lawyers in 100+ jurisdictions, providing local knowledge with global coverage. Covers all areas of law including M&A, litigation management, restructurings, insolvencies, and global compliance policy roll-outs for in-house legal departments and multinational corporations.
• Legal Advisory & Consulting Services Bespoke operations models and advisory services aimed at optimizing corporate structures for legal departments across multiple jurisdictions. Provided to corporate clients seeking to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their legal operations.
• FLIghtONE Case and Matter Management Platform FLI's proprietary digital platform providing clients with a streamlined case management process, consolidated invoice billing, and end-to-end legal services tracking across jurisdictions. Used by clients to monitor multi-jurisdictional matters in real time.
• FLInstitute Compliance Training Bespoke compliance training solution enabling companies to train entire divisions, smaller teams, or vendors and third parties through co-branded FLI content or white-labeling. Features company files (codes of conduct, helplines, whistleblower provisions, manuals and policies, contracts), multimedia framework (videos, third party embedded content, audio overlay, slideshows), and testing provisions. Delivers TRACE-accredited anti-corruption and anti-bribery training.
• Mitigating Compliance Risk Services Advisory services to help clients manage increased stakeholder expectations, the risks associated with anti-corruption non-compliance, and complex global trade rules. Provided by a team of expert advisors with industry and regulatory expertise.
• Data Protection & Privacy Optimization Advisory and operational services to help clients confidently navigate the complex landscape of data protection and privacy, ensuring they protect sensitive data while still being able to effectively operate their businesses across multiple jurisdictions.
• ESG & Sustainability Advisory Advisory services that empower clients to navigate the complex terrain of ESG, safeguarding business integrity while embracing sustainable practices across multiple jurisdictions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves time and money through single point of management for multi-jurisdiction legal projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• A&O Shearman: Global elite law firm formed from Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merger; competes with FLI in cross-border M&A, finance, and high-value corporate advisory work for multinationals.
• Clyde & Co: Global law firm focused on insurance, energy, and trade with cross-border coverage; comparable to FLI in serving enterprise clients with multi-jurisdictional legal needs.
• Dentons: World's largest law firm by lawyer headcount operating a polycentric global model; directly comparable to FLI NET in serving multi-jurisdictional enterprise legal needs through a federated network of member firms.
• Linklaters: Magic Circle international law firm with strong cross-border M&A, finance, and regulatory practice; competes with FLI for premium enterprise mandates across multiple jurisdictions.
• Hogan Lovells: Major international law firm with broad practice areas and global footprint; competes with FLI for large corporate and multinational mandates across regulated industries.
• Baker McKenzie: One of the largest global law firms with deep cross-border practice serving Fortune 500 multinationals; competes directly with FLI for in-house counsel mandates across 100+ jurisdictions.
• DLA Piper: Global law firm with strong cross-border M&A, compliance, and corporate practice serving multinationals; directly comparable to FLI's enterprise-focused multi-jurisdictional offering.
• Norton Rose Fulbright: Global law firm with extensive cross-border practice in financial services, energy, and corporate M&A; comparable to FLI as a network-style international law firm serving enterprise clients.

Emerging players

• Axiom Law: Alternative legal services provider offering flexible in-house legal talent and technology-enabled solutions; comparable to FLI in targeting corporate legal departments with technology-augmented service delivery.
• Elevate (ElevateNext): Alternative legal services provider combining law, technology, and consulting; comparable to FLI in providing tech-enabled legal and compliance solutions to enterprise clients globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 First Law International