Key Takeaways
- O-1 attorneys qualify on firm revenue, not immigration status
- Staff expansion, marketing, and technology all funded
- SBA barred for O-1 holders since March 2026
- Non-dilutive capital for law firm growth and acquisition
- 48-hour decisions, no green card required
O-1 attorneys — recognized through major verdicts, published legal scholarship, industry leadership appointments, or bar association recognition at the highest levels — build law firms with verifiable retainer and contingency revenue. Monthly retainer billing, hourly fees, and structured contingency portfolios create fundable income. Bankable funds O-1 legal service businesses on billable revenue and retainer history — not visa status. Check your Bankability Score.
What Legal Firm Funding Covers
- Attorney and staff hiring: Associates, paralegals, legal secretaries
- Marketing and client acquisition: Digital advertising, bar referral programs, content marketing
- Technology: Case management software, e-discovery tools, client portals
- Office expansion: Additional space for growing team
- Working capital: Bridging between billable hours and client payment
- Practice area expansion: Adding new specialty areas requiring staff and technology
Retainer Revenue Documentation
Law firms with monthly retainer billing — corporate clients on general counsel retainers, ongoing immigration representation, intellectual property portfolio management — generate predictable MRR. We evaluate using billing software reports (Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther) alongside bank statements. Contingency-based practices are evaluated on collected fee history rather than case pipeline.
Ethics Compliance Note
Bankable works with law firm principals, not client trust accounts. All funding is advanced against the firm's earned business revenue — collected fees, retainer payments received — not against unearned client funds. Our underwriting is structured to be fully compatible with state bar ethical rules on attorney financing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Bankable funds O-1 law firm businesses on collected billable and retainer revenue. No green card required.
No. Funding is strictly against the firm's earned operating revenue, not unearned client funds.
$30,000/month in collected legal fees with 6 months of history.
No. All funding is non-dilutive.
48 hours from complete application.
Yes. All SBA programs require 100% citizen/national ownership since March 2026.
Yes. We evaluate collected contingency fee history alongside retainer revenue.
Up to $3M based on monthly collected revenue.
Yes. Staff expansion is a primary working capital use.
Yes. Case management and e-discovery tool costs are valid uses.