Our mission is to help smart lawyers become brilliant lawyers.
Hotshot was founded on a paradox: the smartest people, who went to the best law schools and joined the best law firms, have no clue what they’re doing when they start practicing law.
Our solution was to bring innovations in digital learning to the legal industry – things like short videos, interactive quizzes, and mobile learning. We now help 40 of the Am Law 100 and top law schools provide on-demand learning and interactive training programs in remote, live, and hybrid settings.
Some of the people behind Hotshot
Meet Emily
Emily is a Director of Content at Hotshot. She works with lawyers with experience at top law firms to write the content for Hotshot videos. Emily practiced corporate law at Cleary Gottlieb in New York, and was on the professional development team at Shearman & Sterling. She was once voted New York City's Biggest Knicks Fan.
Meet John
John is the Director of Video Production for Hotshot. He comes from a background of independent video production, specializing in digital marketing, and specifically the needs of law firms. He has worked extensively with large law firms and has won a legal marketing award for his work in the industry. In his previous life he produced two feature films, filmed in-studio performances for Sirius XM, and sat on the UN General Assembly as the Irish Mission’s photographer.
Meet Caitie
Caitie manages the Customer Success team, partnering with customers to make sure they get the most out of their Hotshot subscriptions. Business acumen training programs, creative summer and fall programs, learning tracks for midlevels – you name it, Caitie’s team helps you plan it. Fun fact: Caitie used to be a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall!
Meet Ayo
Ayo handles all things law school. She works with our law student advisory board, professors, and career services offices to help students excel in classes, interviews, and fall and summer jobs. Since law school, she’s worked in Big Law, at a Nigerian startup, and at the U.S. Small Business Administration. When she's not working, she travels, hikes, and practices her French.
Founders
Ian Nelson and Chris Wedgeworth started Hotshot after working together as part of the leadership team at Practical Law Company. They bring their experience building and growing Practical Law and producing high-quality content for lawyers to Hotshot.
Meet Ian
Ian started out in the legal industry as a corporate lawyer and remembers all too well the feeling of not knowing what anyone was talking about when he was a junior associate. He co-founded Hotshot to help others avoid that same feeling. When not focused on the business, he’s on the lookout for the best Cuban sandwich in Miami, where he lives with his wife and dog, Mr. Woofington.
Meet Chris
Chris is the MBA of the founding team, with leadership, sales, and legal-industry experience. Before starting Hotshot, he was the managing director of Practical Law’s US business. After four years of working in London and 20 in New York, he now lives in Sweden with his wife and young family, taking advantage of Hotshot’s work-from-anywhere policy.
Professional Development Advisory Board
Our advisory board of professional development leaders helps us stay on top of the latest trends in legal education and training.
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Anna Bankey
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
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Michele Bendekovic
Bass, Berry & Sims
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Larry Brown
Former PDC Board Member
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Kent Coit
Boston University School of Law
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Sara Dana
Harvard Law School
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Michelle Peralta
Ropes & Gray
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Jeanne Picht
Fried Frank
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Don Smith
Crowell & Moring
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Caitlin Vaughn
Goodwin
Investors
Hotshot’s investors include experts from a variety of backgrounds — business, law firms, and in-house legal departments.
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Guy Baring
Former CEO of Practical Law UK
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Robert Dow
Co-Founder, Practical Law Company
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Jeroen Plink
CEO, legal tech entrepreneur, and investor
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Ralph Baxter
Former Chairman, Orrick
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Don Liu
General Counsel, Target
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Dan Smith
SVP Strategy, Dow Jones
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Anna Rainbow Chalker
Angel Investor
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Chris Millerchip
Co-Founder, Practical Law Company
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Michael Suchsland
Former President, Thomson Reuters Legal