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Legal services specialist Johnson Hana is raising €3.5 million from existing backers to bankroll expansion in the United States and the UK. Founded by businessman and barrister Dan Fox, Johnson Hana handles routine legal processes, such as discovery, commercial contract reviews, data access requests and other procedures, for its clients.
The company said on Monday it had raised €3.5 million to fund the growth of its business in the Republic along with expansion into the UK and US.
Johnson Hanna borrowed €500,000 from Ulster Bank and raised €3 million from existing shareholders, Voxpro founders, Dan and Linda Kiely; PWC Hong Kong partner John Ryan; software entrepreneur Finlay Ross, and former Tullow Oil finance chief Tom Hickey. Specialist investment fund, BVP, led the cash-raising exercise.
Mr Fox said the company would focus in particular on growing its team of experts in litigation, contracts, property law and privacy.
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Market
"In Ireland we've had to create an entirely new market for alternative legal delivery from scratch, whereas in markets like the UK and US the sector is already there which will make it easier for us to establish a presence," he explained.
"We've seen good momentum through the year to date and we recently secured framework deals with both Coillte and Ervia."
Johnson Hana is likely to use further investment rounds to grow its legal technology and forensics units.
Covid-19 has not caused major disruption to the company, as many of its lawyers already work remotely. Mr Fox noted that the pandemic had made clients more cost-conscious than ever.
Johnson Hana has a network of more than 1,000 lawyers, legal technology specialists and project managers to handle its work.
Mr Fox raised €1 million from the Kielys and State agency Enterprise Ireland in 2017 to found the business.
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