Lawyers are traditionally viewed as better linguists as mathematicians (except when it comes to billing!). “I used to be a lawyer, but I learned not to be allergic to numbers,” reflects Felipe Mohando, Director of Partnership at Crespect, a Baltic legal tech company focused on project management and CRM, describing his unconventional career path from Argentine tax lawyer at EY to legal tech innovator. During a recent Platforum9 session, Mohando shares insights on how your legal training can launch diverse career opportunities far beyond traditional practice, if you are open to it.
The Foundation of Adaptability
Mohando’s journey began in Buenos Aires, where his early work in transfer pricing at Ernst & Young revealed a crucial insight: legal education provides analytical skills that extend well beyond law. “There’s some bias in law schools toward teaching rhetoric over analytical skills,” he notes. “But having that economics background and comfort with numbers opened doors I never expected.”
Learning Through Disruption
A pivotal moment came during Argentina’s economic crisis, when Mohando joined a small firm handling major clients. This experience taught him invaluable lessons about adaptability. “We couldn’t afford to wait for IT support when the printer wasn’t working and a brief was due in two hours,” he explains. “We had to figure things out ourselves.” This necessity fostered a tech-savvy mindset that would later prove instrumental.
The Knowledge Management Bridge
When the 2008 financial crisis dried up M&A work, Mohando made a strategic pivot. Rather than waiting for markets to recover, he took charge of his firm’s knowledge management function. This role demanded understanding how different practice areas operate, managing multiple languages, and creating systems that work across cultures. “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing with or without computers,” he emphasises. “You need to understand what needs to be done first, then add the technology – not the other way around.”
Beyond Traditional Practice
His experience demonstrates how legal training can translate into diverse roles:
- Knowledge management leadership
- Quality management systems
- Strategic consulting
- Legal tech development
- International business operations
The Technology Evolution
Now at Crespect, a legal tech startup, Mohando applies his unique perspective to developing software for mid-sized law firms. His approach reflects a deep understanding of both legal practice and technology limitations. “Law firms in many different places have their particularities, but they all rhyme,” he observes. “Big law firms in Spain, Argentina, Estonia, Greece, Poland – they all more or less look the same.”
The AI Perspective
On artificial intelligence, Mohando maintains a practical view: “Lawyering is a people’s business. AI will allow us to concentrate on what makes you a good lawyer – understanding issues, understanding your client’s business – while automating the drudge work.”
His journey illustrates a broader truth about legal careers in 2025: a law degree can be the foundation for multiple career paths, particularly when combined with an openness to learning new skills and embracing change. As Mohando’s experience shows, sometimes the most rewarding career moves come from being “not allergic” to new challenges, whether they involve numbers, technology, or completely new professional domains.
