Karachi Achilihu is a transactional attorney with a focus on technology and its adjacencies—from contracting to product and privacy counseling. She began her career in Big Law before moving in-house with household name corporations, and, ultimately, founding her own legal consultancy, which services a global clientele.

‍

‍Tell us a bit about your professional background.

I'm a tech-savvy attorney passionate about technology transactions. My practice consists of combining my commercial, privacy, and product counseling experience to provide legal support to global companies at the forefront of tech.

After graduating from law school, I started my legal career as an associate at Venable, where I advised middle-market clients across various industries during corporate deals. During the pandemic, I transitioned to Goodwin Procter, where I advised technology-based startups, emerging growth to public companies, and investors on corporate governance, venture capital, M&A, capital markets, and other strategic corporate transactions up to $28.5M. After spending 2½ years practicing at Am Law 100 firms, I began my in-house counsel journey at Meta Platforms, where I managed content, production, and platform deals across Meta, Facebook, Instagram, and Reality Labs as commercial counsel. Building upon my Big Tech + Big Law experiences, I launched and now operate my legal consultancy to provide fully integrated, on-demand, in-house counseling to clients of all sizes during technology transactions.

‍

When did you first learn about Lawtrades and what prompted you to join the platform?

I first learned about Lawtrades in the wake of the massive layoffs that impacted many in-house attorneys, including myself. While I had always enjoyed working in-house, the uncertainty of traditional employment made me rethink my approach to legal work. I wanted more control over my career, the ability to choose the clients and industries I worked with, and the flexibility to build my own practice. Lawtrades stood out as a platform that empowered legal professionals to operate independently while still engaging in high-quality, impactful work with top-tier companies. It aligned perfectly with my goal of continuing to focus on technology transactions and supporting innovative businesses without being tied to the volatility of traditional employment.

Joining Lawtrades allowed me to work on complex commercial and technology deals while maintaining the autonomy I was looking for. It’s been an invaluable resource for building my consultancy and expanding my reach in today's modern legal practices.

‍

What made you go out on your own and build your practice?

After working with a few clients, I realized that I had quickly gained substantial experience as a tech lawyer, providing a strong foundation to build upon. Recognizing this, I saw an opportunity to establish a solid professional profile, leveraging my unique expertise in technology transactions and my corporate law background. Through my legal consultancy (THE TECH ESQ.℠), I provide global companies of all sizes with fully integrated, on-demand, in-house counseling during technology transactions — as fractional or interim commercial, privacy, and product counsel. I regularly counsel organizational stakeholders, vendors, customers, and partners on the development, sale, procurement, and partnership of technology-enabled products, services, intellectual property, features, content, and apps.

Building my consultancy while using Lawtrades has allowed me to gain incredible work experience in a short amount of time. Through Lawtrades, I'm able to manage the types of deals I’m passionate about while also having the flexibility to explore entrepreneurial ventures and live my life otherwise. It’s been an exciting transition, and I’m looking forward to growing my business.

‍

What is your favorite aspect of Lawtrades?

What I appreciate most about Lawtrades is its fully modern and comprehensive platform. It allows you to create a detailed profile showcasing your background, seamlessly track client engagements and billable hours, and explore new opportunities—all in one place. It’s by far the most advanced platform I’ve come across for independent legal professionals.

‍

What advice would you have for others who are looking to utilize Lawtrades successfully?

Fully optimize your profile by providing as much detail as possible. Make sure to clearly articulate your expertise and the work you do, leaving no stone unturned. Many lawyers struggle to present their skill set in a compelling way, but Lawtrades’ intuitive user interface makes it easier to showcase your strengths effectively.

What advice do you have for someone who's thinking of launching their own practice?

My biggest advice is to assess your skillset strategically. Keep track of the deals you’ve worked on, the industries your clients operate in, and the types of agreements you’re advising on. Over time, you’ll notice patterns that define your niche and help you position yourself effectively. I often see lawyers describing themselves in ways that don’t align with their actual experience. By analyzing my own work, I was able to recognize that I had transitioned from a corporate lawyer to a tech lawyer. That clarity allowed me to refine my expertise and market myself accordingly.

At the end of the day, being an attorney isn’t just about legal work—it’s about marketing and business development, whether us lawyers like it or not. The more intentional you are about defining your practice and communicating your value, the more success you’ll have in building a thriving legal business.