Friends and successful attorneys at large law firms, Daniel Jo and Prerna Rao were chatting one day in April about their families, life and work when they came up with an idea to start their own law firm.

It was something both had previously bandied about and that Rao had even given a shot. After working five years for Stamford-based Pickel Law Firm, Rao had opened her own practice in September 2017. Jo, meanwhile, had worked for several large New York and Connecticut law firms since 2003. Both born outside of the U.S.—Rao in India and Jo in South Korea—they became what is believed to be the first 100 percent Asian-American multipartner firm in the state when they joined forces to open Rao & Jo on June 1 in Trumbull.