Member Spotlight: Hal Stanton with Groundswell Advisors, LLP

Hi! Thanks for chatting with us today. What is your name? 

Hal Stanton

What is the name of your company, or the company you work for?

Groundswell Advisors, LLP

We’d love to hear the story behind your business or career. What inspired you to get started? What is your mission or purpose? What are your guiding values? 

Groundswell is a boutique law firm focused on small- and mid-market mergers and acquisitions. It was founded in 2022 by several attorneys who saw problems with the way their then-employers --large, multinational law firms– handled smaller transactions (think $1-50 million). In short, Groundswell was created to do small- and medium-sized deals the right way, with a focus on closing, not on maximizing fees.

I joined Groundswell at the start 2023, having also given up on larger law firm life. Since then, I've represented countless buyers and sellers, and have been able to focus on the job without the rigamarole that normally accompanies lawyers and law firms. So far, it has been great. I'm glad I joined the wave.

Tell us about a great challenge on your journey that caused a transformation or pivot. What insight do you carry with you from this experience?

Just over a year ago, I was defending multinational companies in national class actions. In many ways, it was a great gig. The kind of thing you go to law school to do. But reality didn't always meet expectations. There is a lot of dead weight at traditional law firms. Old-fashioned ways of doing things. A lack of process improvement. A focus on billing time, not on efficiency.

When I started to look elsewhere for work, I found I could get more of the same at different large law firms. But I didn't just want more of the same with a change of scenery. I wanted to believe that I could take the good from the practice of law (solving interesting legal problems and advising clients accordingly) while jettisoning the bad. 

That's how I found Groundswell: I was looking for others who share my belief that the practice of law should mean more than grinding out hours in badly fitted (although no doubt expensive) suits. It can and should be interesting, rewarding, and, dare I say, modern. Contracts do not have to read like they were written in the early 1900s. Lawyers should be able to jump on Slack or Telegram, if that is where their clients want to work.

We love that! Now, why join a community like Bamboo? What do you get most from participating in the community? 

Groundswell is distributed by design, which is great for some things but less so for in-person contact. I joined Bamboo so that I could once again interact with people, not screens. It's early days, but I've already gotten to know some in the community; I'm looking forward to meeting others.

How can our community keep in touch with you? 

I can be reached at hal@groundswell.law, and people should also check out the firm's website (groundswell.law) and LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/groundswell-law/)

Is there any other information you'd like to share with us?

I want to know whether the Bamboo community would find it useful if I were to host office hours or give presentations on all things legal. I know there are a lot of people at Bamboo who are in the early days of starting or growing a business. I'd happily devote some time to answering questions (assuming I know the answers!). Please reach out and let me know!

Thanks, Hal!

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