Overture Law, a referral platform for solo and small firm lawyers, provides a novel method for increasing revenue by addressing a common problem faced by many in these typically underserved sectors.
The platform seeks to remedy the circumstance where a client or former client brings a legal issue outside the attorney’s practice area or jurisdiction to their attention. Overture offers a solution by creating a network where lawyers can refer such cases to vetted, qualified attorneys in various areas of practice and, in doing so, receive the relevant referral fees.
The platform works to everyone’s advantage as the referring lawyer assists the client in getting the help they need while concurrently generating additional revenue.
Moreover, the network built by Overture opens opportunities for the lawyer to receive referrals of similar cases. Although there are other lawyer-to-lawyer referral platforms, Overture is, to our knowledge, the first to concentrate its efforts on facilitating the ethical sharing of referral fees among smaller firms’ lawyers.
Founded by Brian Liu, Arya Firoozmand, and Curt Brown, who were also founders of LegalZoom and BizCounsel, the advisory board of Overture Law also draws heavily from these entities.
Overture Law’s birth came as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic when many solo and small firm lawyers sought help from BizCounsel with referrals. The platform allows attorneys to post referral requests and connect with vetted lawyers who are proficient in the required areas.
Notably, there is no charge for lawyers to join the network. Overture law generates its revenue by earning a percentage (20%) of the fee paid by the client. The attorney who handles the case receives 65% of the fee, and the referring attorney gets 15%.
To overcome ethical issues, Overture operates as a law firm in California, functioning as the liaison between attorneys who seek to refer cases to other attorneys in different states and practice segments. This structure allows them to conform to state ethics laws, with all trust accounting handled through Overture’s affiliated law firm.
For more extensive information about the ethical aspects of the platform, Overture’s knowledge base serves as a comprehensive guide providing legal professionals with referral fee rules in every U.S. state, except Hawaii and Wyoming.