Earlier this month, the UpCounsel saga seemingly came to an end. On April 2, holding company Enduring Ventures announced it purchased the online marketplace platform for an unspecified amount, according to Crunchbase.

The new owners and industry observers say the freelance lawyer marketplace connecting small businesses and startups to lawyers is still viable, but some warned those platforms may have to contend with shrinking client budgets and ethical rules barring fee sharing with nonlawyers.