In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies, speaks with Ryan Zahrai, Founder of Zed Law, a cutting-edge legal and advisory firm built for fast-growing startups and ambitious scale-ups. Over the past 18 months, Zed Law has achieved 10x growth with AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... by bridging a key gap in the market by delivering agile legal services and strategic corporate advisory to clients who have outgrown the startup hustle but find traditional mid-tier law firms too slow and bloated. Beyond legal work, Zed Law supports clients with venture capital fundraising, debt financing, and market entry strategies, even investing directly in early-stage companies. With a founder-first, synergy-driven approach, Ryan and his team have cultivated a thriving network of bootstrapped and mission-led entrepreneurs who value speed, collaboration, and results.
Ryan’s unconventional legal career journey began in top-tier Australian law firms, took him to Israel for a global in-house legal role, and later into the private equity-backed healthcare sector. Working closely with CTOs, startup founders, and business leaders shifted his perspective on intelligence, challenging the legal profession’s over-reliance on academic credentials. He discovered that innovation in law often comes from those who think differently and operate outside rigid structures. This led Ryan to abandon the billable hour model, which he views as inherently limiting, in favour of tech-enabled legal solutions that deliver scale, efficiency, and greater client impact.
The discussion also explores the surge in venture capital investment driven by AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... FOMO (fear of missing out). Ryan compares the trend to the crypto boom, with companies repositioning themselves or launching niche AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... products to attract investors; with some securing funding without even an MVPMVP stands for Minimum Viable Product. An MVP is the first version of your product that you can release to.... He envisions the future law firm as a small, expert legal team supported by hundreds of AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... agents, from M&A specialists to contract drafting bots, enabling unprecedented efficiency. Anthony and Ryan also discuss the AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... talent war, where top engineers are being courted with bonuses and salaries comparable to elite sports transfers.
AI’s transformation of the legal industry is already evident through platforms like Harvey.AI, Crosby AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through..., and Veraty, Zed Law’s chosen partner for delivering AI-first legal services. Veraty’s platform resolves about 75% of legal queries via AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through..., with optional human lawyer verification for added accuracy. Ryan believes that AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... already outperforms many mid-tier lawyers in efficiency and accuracy, much like how AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... in healthcare has surpassed human performance in early-stage cancer detection. He predicts that while AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... will dominate routine legal tasks, the optimal model will remain AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... plus human oversight. He also outlines how AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... will reduce demand for junior lawyers and paralegals, with fewer traditional entry roles but greater opportunities for those skilled in AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... tool mastery and output verification.
As the episode closes, Ryan emphasises the importance of business agility in the AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... era. He urges small and mid-sized firms to review strategies quarterly, run market tests, and pivot quickly based on early data, warning that failure to adapt will lead to being left behind. In contrast, large, inflexible firms often struggle to change at the necessary pace. Ryan’s key takeaway is clear: whether you’re in law, technology, or any AI-impacted industry, regular strategic adaptation isn’t optional; it’s the only path to long-term success.
Key Topics
- Zed Law’s 10x Growth and Founder-First Legal Services for Startups and Scale-Ups
- Ryan Zahrai’s Career Journey from Top-Tier Law Firms to Legal Tech Innovation
- Replacing the Billable Hour Model with Scalable, Tech-Enabled Legal Solutions
- AI-Driven Venture Capital Boom and Startup Funding Trends
- The Future of Law Firms: Small Expert Teams Powered by AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... Agents
- How Platforms like Harvey, Crosby, and Veraty Are Transforming Legal Workflows
- AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... Outperforming Human Lawyers in Efficiency, Accuracy, and Legal Task Automation
- Impact of AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... on Junior Lawyers, Paralegals, and Entry-Level Legal Roles
- Business Agility in the AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... Era: Quarterly Strategy Reviews and Rapid Market Adaptation
Important Time Stamps
- Lawyers Who Move Fast: Why Zed Law Works Like a Startup (0:07 – 5:38)
- From Law Firms to Startups: Why Ryan Zahrai Left the Traditional Path (5:39 – 11:11)
- AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... FOMO: The New Gold Rush for Startups (11:12 – 18:18)
- Why AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... + Human Review Is the Future of Law (Says Zed Law’s Ryan Zahrai) (18:19 – 24:21)
- Why Training Lawyers to Use AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... Is Smarter Than Fighting It (24:22 – 30:11)
- Stay Agile or Get Left Behind: Ryan Zahrai’s Advice for 2025 (30:12 – 31:33)
