Private Equity Meets eDiscovery: Driving Value in Legal Support Services

Client Overview

Our client is a private equity-backed litigation support services company specializing in eDiscovery. Their advanced technology platform processes, analyzes, and hosts digital materials relevant to high-stakes litigation. Known for delivering plaintiff-side support in mass tort and class action suits, the company combines legal expertise, cutting-edge software, and AI to empower smaller firms and level the playing field against large corporations.

Despite a history of success and a high-margin business model, the company faced growth stagnation mid-hold. With a proven product and a motivated investor base, the client sought to reinvigorate expansion into new markets and set the stage for a profitable exit.

The Challenge / Mandate

The PE sponsors required a transformational CEO with a demonstrated track record of leading PE-backed SaaS businesses to scale and exit. The new CEO would be tasked with architecting a revenue acceleration plan, transitioning the business to a more recurring-revenue model, and professionalizing a founder-led operation without disrupting the company’s core strengths.

Key responsibilities included:

• Developing and executing strategies to achieve rapid, sustainable growth
• Shifting the revenue mix toward recurring engagements
• Professionalizing internal processes and KPIs to drive operational excellence
• Acting as a key partner to the Board and executive team, and a steward of cultural evolution
• Building out a high-performing leadership team while maintaining a bias for action

Search Strategy

We targeted C-level operators with SaaS expertise and deep experience working with PE sponsors. Candidates with domain exposure to legal services, cybersecurity, or tech-enabled B2B services were prioritized, especially those with a track record of multiple successful exits. Additional focus was placed on high-EQ leaders who had transformed founder-led companies into investor-grade platforms.

Target profile characteristics included:

• History of full P&L ownership and board-facing strategic leadership
• Expertise in sales and GTM execution, particularly in regulated industries
• Prior success leading a business through exit (ideally more than once)
• Comfort managing through ambiguity with a hands-on, growth-oriented style 
• Experience transitioning project-based revenues to recurring or subscription models

The Placement

We successfully placed a six-time CEO known for building and scaling high-tech, PE- and VC-backed businesses across cybersecurity, SaaS, and AI. He brought extensive M&A and IPO experience, having led multiple companies through exits, including the first cybersecurity unicorn to IPO within three years.

A recognized thought leader and keynote speaker, the candidate had raised over $300M in capital, driven global sales expansion in 82 countries, and achieved an average investor return of 21x. His mix of commercial acumen, technical understanding, and operational discipline made him a compelling match for a PE platform looking to drive transformation in the legal tech space.

The Outcome

Under new leadership, the company is poised to redefine the legal tech landscape by embedding AI at the core of its offerings and capturing greater share in mass tort and class action litigation. With a renewed growth mandate, professionalized operations, and a CEO capable of bridging strategy and execution, the business is on a clear path toward a high-value exit.