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Co-Founder of Virtual Law Partners Is Leaving
The Recorder
November 18, 2009
Andrea Chavez
Image: courtesy photo
Craig Johnson was a charismatic and magnetic leader -- and six weeks after his untimely death, Johnson's fledgling virtual law firm is feeling the loss.
Andrea Chavez -- executive partner and co-founder of Virtual Law Partners in California's Silicon Valley -- left the firm Friday to start Aragorn Law. Chavez said that "no one could fill Craig's shoes," and without his leadership at the firm, she decided it was time to try out some new ideas for law practice on her own.
"The opportunity to work with Craig was the draw," said Chavez, who brought three other lawyers into VLP. "Before, I was building this little firm, and the reason why I brought all those people over is I just felt it was going to be a rare opportunity to work with someone like Craig, and I don't regret it."
Her exit comes as the firm looks to fill the leadership hole left by the sudden death of Johnson, a visionary Silicon Valley lawyer who created the Venture Law Group and more recently VLP. Johnson passed away at the age of 62 on Oct. 3 after suffering a stroke. He had just returned from a European honeymoon with his new wife and VLP President Roseann Rotandaro.
VLP was founded by Rotandaro, Johnson and Chavez with the idea of building a large-scale virtual law firm. Rotandaro said that the firm, which grew quickly to 40 partners, is "still on the trajectory that we were on."
With Johnson gone, Rotandaro said, the partners have decided to expand the executive committee and form an outside advisory board.
"Craig as an individual can't be replaced," Rotandaro said. "But internally and with the advisory board, we'll be able to duplicate some of the things he was hoping to attain for the firm."
Chavez, 39, said she understands the shift to more democratic management without Johnson in the picture, but she said it doesn't suit her style. "I'm kind of an impatient person," she said. "I like to get things done quickly and I don't want to ask permission."
Chavez said she hadn't been planning to leave before Johnson's death.
She wouldn't give that many details about Aragorn Law -- named after a fictional king in "The Lord of the Rings" -- ahead of a January launch date. She said she wants to use blogs and social networks. She will also be using cloud computing instead of buying servers.
Another VLP partner, Emily Gavin, will be joining Chavez at the end of the month.
Chavez says she has a couple of big clients, though she wouldn't identify them. She's represented patent stockpiler Intellectual Ventures in the past.
Chavez met Johnson as an associate at Venture Law Group and joined up again with him after forming her own virtual firm, Lion Tech Law. She said his death has had an effect on everybody at the firm.
"It was a traumatic event -- I think a lot of people are trying to bond together and stay together," she said.
Rotandaro said that she wished Chavez well, but said that her departure wouldn't hurt the firm. "Andrea had twins and hadn't been as actively involved, and she kind of wants to focus on her own practice," Rotandaro said.
VLP, which has managed to attract lawyers from big law firms, will be getting one more in New York come the beginning of the year, according to Rotandaro. Even in these difficult times, Rotandaro said, she never considered dissolving the firm. "It's his legacy," she said.
