Law Firm Financing Nationwide, Case-Cost Capital, Partner Buy-Ins and Practice Acquisition
⚖️ Financing Built for Law FirmsI’m Kevin Kermeen, a nationwide commercial loan broker, not a bank. Law firm financing has to solve a cash-flow problem unique to legal practice: you advance the costs and the hours long before the money comes in. Contingency and plaintiff firms front expert fees, depositions and filing costs on cases that settle years out. Even on hourly work, unbilled time and slow-paying clients lock up cash while payroll and rent never pause. I match you to capital built for that reality… a working capital loan or business line of credit to carry case costs and the work-in-progress gap, SBA 7(a) financing to fund a partner buy-in or buy out a retiring partner, and acquisition financing to buy a book or merge in another firm. Litigation, estate planning, family law, IP, immigration, whatever your practice area, I match you to lenders who fund law firms.
Law Firm Financing for Every Need a Practice Has
Whether you’re fronting case costs, waiting on work-in-progress, funding a partner buy-in, or acquiring another firm, there’s a structure built for it. Here’s what law firm financing commonly covers.
Case-Cost Advances
Front expert fees, depositions, filing and litigation costs on contingency cases that settle months or years out, without draining the firm.
Work-in-Progress and Lockup
Bridge the gap between billable work done and cash collected when unbilled time and slow clients tie up your money.
Partner Buy-In and Buyout
Fund a new partner buying into the firm, or buy out a retiring partner, through SBA 7(a) without draining cash.
Acquire a Firm or Book
Buy another practice, a book of business, or merge in a competitor, financed through SBA 7(a) on the target’s revenue.
Open or Expand an Office
Launch a new practice, open a second office, or hire associates ahead of revenue with expansion capital.
Equipment, Tech and Build-Out
Case management software, servers, office build-out and the technology a modern firm runs on, on equipment terms.
A Plaintiff Firm Took on Three Major Cases After a Line of Credit Covered the Case Costs
A plaintiff law firm had three strong contingency cases it wanted to take on at once, but each required tens of thousands in expert witnesses, depositions and filing costs up front, with no fee income until settlement, potentially years away. The firm had the talent and the cases, just not the cash to front all three at the same time.
They called me. I matched the firm to a business line of credit sized to its case pipeline, drawn down to cover the case costs and repaid as settlements came in. The firm took all three cases, won, and the line stayed open as a permanent tool for fronting future case costs without ever touching the partners’ personal capital.
That’s what the right law firm match looks like. Don’t Beg the Bank! Get funded instead.
Law Firm Financing, the Right Tool for Each Need
Law firm financing isn’t one product. Case costs and the WIP gap want a line of credit or working capital, a partner buy-in or acquisition wants SBA 7(a). Here are the paths. I match you to the one that fits, tap any to explore it.
Business Line of Credit
Revolving capital to front case costs and bridge the work-in-progress gap, drawn as needed and repaid as fees come in.
See SBA 7(a)Working Capital
A lump sum to cover payroll and operations through a slow stretch or a lumpy contingency-fee cycle.
See working capitalSBA 504 and Real Estate
Own the office your firm operates in with long-term, low-down-payment SBA 504 financing.
See SBA 504SBA 7(a) Buy-In and Acquisition
Fund a partner buy-in, buy out a retiring partner, or acquire another firm, underwritten on cash flow.
See line of creditWorking Capital
If you want it, the lower-down-payment SBA 504 route for the owner-occupied office, separate from the practice purchase.
See working capitalLine of Credit
Revolving capital for seasonal swings and operations, draw only what you need.
See lines of creditQualifying for Law Firm Financing
Law firms are strong borrowers because lenders can underwrite predictable elements most firms overlook: a contingency case pipeline, recurring hourly clients, work-in-progress and the firm’s collection history. For case-cost and WIP needs, a line of credit or working capital is underwritten on that cash flow; for a partner buy-in or acquisition, SBA 7(a) underwrites the firm’s earnings. A profitable practice with decent partner credit has real options. I qualify deals honestly.
✅ What helps you qualify
- ✔An operating law firm with verifiable revenue, a case pipeline, or a clear use of funds.
- ✔A solid cash flow and decent credit, the foundation an SBA acquisition lender wants.
- ✔A target firm with solid, documented cash flow and verifiable client retention.
- ✔A down payment or contribution, which a parent or family member can help with.
💡 Straight talk
- →Case costs and the WIP gap run on a line of credit or working capital, not your real estate.
- →Partner buy-ins and firm acquisitions run on SBA 7(a), underwritten on the firm’s earnings.
- →Credit is flexible, there’s no single hard FICO floor; stronger credit means better terms.
- →A past bank rejection does not disqualify you; the deal and your credit matter more.
Get Your Law Firm Financing Options
A quick, no-pressure pre-qualification. I personally review every submission, no call center, no junior rep.
Got it. I’m on it.
Your law firm financing request landed in my inbox. I personally review every submission and most responses go out within one business hour.
Watch for a call from me, Kevin Kermeen, I call directly, I don’t text.
Recent Law Firm Financing From My Desk
A snapshot of the law firm financing I match to lenders nationwide, firm by firm. Every firm and deal is different, yours starts with a conversation.
Law Firm Financing · Case Costs
A plaintiff firm used a line of credit to front the costs of three contingency cases, repaid at settlement.
Partner Buy-In
A senior associate bought into the partnership with SBA 7(a) financing, paid from the firm’s earnings.
WIP Bridge
A firm bridged a work-in-progress gap with working capital while a large matter wrapped and billed.
How I Match Law Firm Financing to the Right Lender
Law firm cash flow is unlike any other profession, and the right lenders understand it. I work with many, so I match your law firm financing to one who reads a contingency pipeline, work-in-progress and a partnership structure correctly, usually a line of credit or working capital for case costs and the WIP gap, and SBA 7(a) for a partner buy-in or an acquisition, and I review the options with you before you commit.
Here’s the reality of running a law firm, and the cash-flow trap built into the business model. You do the work, advance the costs, and wait, sometimes years on a contingency matter, before the money arrives, while payroll, rent and malpractice premiums never pause. Contingency and plaintiff firms feel this hardest: a single case can require tens of thousands in expert witnesses, depositions, court reporters and filing fees, all fronted with no fee income until settlement. Even hourly firms carry it through work-in-progress and slow-paying clients. The fix is rarely a real estate loan; it is a business line of credit or working capital underwritten on the firm’s pipeline and collection history, drawn to cover case costs and repaid as fees come in. Separately, the firm’s ownership and growth moves, a new partner buying in, buying out a retiring partner, or acquiring another practice or book of business, run through SBA 7(a) financing, which underwrites the firm’s earnings rather than demanding hard collateral. Estate planning, family law, litigation, intellectual property, immigration, contract and mediation practices all finance the same way, around cash flow and partnership. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, its 7(a) program can fund a change of business ownership.
The right structure depends on the deal size and whether a seller note or conventional layer belongs in the structure.SBA 7(a) loan, and broader options live across the SBA loan programs. Case costs and the work-in-progress gap run on a business line of credit or working capital, a partner buy-in or a firm purchase runs on an SBA 7(a) loan, and the software, servers and office build-out a modern firm needs run on equipment financing. If you want to own the building, an SBA 504 loan or commercial real estate loan gives long-term, fixed-rate terms. A brand-mandated renovation points to professional services working capital, and the ramp-up months are covered by working capital loans or a business line of credit.
So tell me what your firm needs, case-cost capital, a bridge for work-in-progress, a partner buy-in, or an acquisition, and your practice area, and I’ll tell you honestly which law firm financing fits and match you to a lender who understands legal cash flow. To buy another firm specifically, see my practice acquisition financing. For other firm financing, see my professional services financing hub, or compare every option on my loan programs page. Don’t Beg the Bank! Get funded instead.
Sources: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) loan program and 504 loan program.
Straight Answers Before You Apply
What is law firm financing?
How do I fund case costs on contingency matters?
Can I finance a partner buy-in or buyout at my firm?
Can I finance buying or merging in another law firm?
What kinds of law practices do you finance?
What does it cost to work with you?
A Broker Who Understands Legal Cash Flow
I’m Kevin Kermeen, the nationwide commercial loan broker behind 75BizLoans.com, not a bank and not a lead-selling portal. A conventional bank sees a law firm with no hard collateral and a lumpy contingency pipeline and stops reading. I work with lenders who underwrite a firm’s case pipeline, work-in-progress and collections for case-cost capital, and SBA 7(a) lenders who fund partner buy-ins and acquisitions on the firm’s earnings, and matching you to the right one is the whole point of working with me. I personally review every application, I call you directly, and I never text. For program details, see the SBA’s 7(a) loan program.
Don’t Beg the Bank!
Get Funded Instead.
Banks hand out umbrellas when the sun is shining, not when you’re weathering the storm … and they’ll deny a line for case costs that would let you take on the matters that grow your firm. I match you to law firm financing built around how a practice actually earns … a line of credit or working capital to front case costs and bridge work-in-progress, and SBA 7(a) for partner buy-ins, buyouts and acquiring another firm. Litigation, estate planning, IP, whatever your practice. Get a same-day callback from a broker who reviews every deal himself.
Law firm financing covers business lines of credit, working capital, SBA 7(a) loans and equipment financing. Case-cost and work-in-progress financing is underwritten on the firm’s revenue, case pipeline and collections, not real estate. SBA 7(a) loans are government-backed, generally capped at $5 million, with their own eligibility, terms and timelines set by the SBA, and fund partner buy-ins, buyouts and acquisitions; a seller note may be layered in. SBA 504 applies only to an owner-occupied office purchase. Amounts, rates, terms, advance rates and funding timelines vary by lender, the firm and the use of funds; all figures are illustrative and not a commitment to lend, and nothing here is legal or financial advice. No upfront fees refers to fees payable to 75BizLoans.com; I am paid by the lender at closing. Some partner lenders may require a commitment deposit when you accept their term sheet.