Innovating with Intent: Mezzle, a Progressive Law Firm, is Challenging the Traditional Law Model, Foraying into Cloud Computing Law

“We have heavily invested in our back-office systems, so each lawyer benefits from the best IT infrastructure and admin support and can function from anywhere in the world.”

Mezzle is a boutique law firm with offices in Birmingham, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. With decades of combined experience, the firm is challenging the traditional approach to law by collaborating with its clients and lawyers. It represents high-net-worth individuals and businesses.

Mezzle was founded in 2021.

The Silicon Review contacted Henzie Healley, Partner and Managing Director of Mezzle, who spoke about how the firm is making a difference and plans to stay at the forefront. Below is an excerpt.

Head to Head with Henzie Healley, Partner and MD of Mezzle

Q. How would you describe your career journey so far? And tell us what motivated you to establish Mezzle.

To be honest, I prayed for a job that I would love and God pushed me into a situation where I was forced to start my own business. Even though I did not know it at the time, it was the answer to my prayers because I do love my job and having my own business. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Q. Who do you look up to and why?

I think everyone can learn something from everyone and everyone is unique and on their journey in life. As such, I do not have a single person that I look up to, nor do I compare myself to others. I am on my own journey, but I respect people who have built themselves up from nothing or have had the ambition to be successful, but success comes in all forms, being a good person, changing the lives of others, having a successful business, etc. Therefore, I look to others for inspiration, and I am genuinely happy for their success, learning from them in all the aspects that make up success, and if I can also be a part of their journey, that’s the best. Some people who inspire me are Preston McIntyre (Holding Space), Bijan Alizadehfard (Cypher Capital), Tasawar Al Haq (one-man-army), my business partners (Raj Sumal and Mel Kang), Pratik Rawal (Ascent Partners), Rahil Khoobroo (Khol & Rouge), Greg Shipee (Re/Think), my parents and so many more. I have been blessed to have very inspirational people all around me all the time. Sometimes you teach them things, and sometimes they teach you. It’s important to surround yourself with people that inspire you and help you to be the best that you can be.

Q. How’s Mezzle challenging the traditional approach to law?

Mezzle Middle East is a legal consultancy that is seeking to disrupt the provision of legal services and the way that lawyers conduct their businesses. It provides a platform through which lawyers can join and continue to service their clients without having to worry about the endless non-billable hours taken up by admin and running a business solo. Mezzle allows lawyers to join a global brand, have the support that they need to efficiently and effectively provide the highest level of service to their clients while having the freedom to enjoy life and be their own boss.

Importantly, we are a remote-based fee share model, whereby the benefit is seen by both the lawyers and the clients. We have heavily invested in our back-office systems, so each lawyer benefits from the best IT infrastructure and admin support and can function from anywhere in the world. The idea of being flexible and remote is why we are different, but also the very fact that the lawyers keep the lion’s share of the fees is again a massive differential factor in the current legal market. Happy lawyers also mean better work and happier clients. At the end of the day, it’s all a closed circle and everything in it has cause and effect.

Q. How skilled is the Mezzle team of experts? And how do they bring value to the firm?

Mezzle is always looking for ways to improve and provide the best services to its clients, embracing technology and new ways of doing things, being proactive instead of reactive. That said, we have a very wide variety of lawyers on board and they are all experts in their fields. With traditional firms, it is common that you meet the partner in your first meeting, but the work is passed down to junior lawyers to complete. With Mezzle, the lawyer you have your first contact with is the lawyer you work with throughout; getting higher quality services at the same or a lower cost.

Moreover, we have lawyers specializing in real estate, shipping, aviation, hotels, finance, insurance, film and media, IP, employment, banking, CSP services, company set-ups, fintech, start-ups, disputes (both arbitration and local court work), cryptocurrencies, heathcare and more. Our team of legal experts can cover UAE law, English Law and German Law.

Q. What new endeavors is Mezzle currently undertaking?

Mezzle is growing from strength to strength, and we have and are continuing to actively recruit good quality lawyers across the UK and UAE (for now, but there are also expansion plans). The model we have created and the infrastructure we have given our lawyers is really attractive to them, so the ultimate plan is to continue this growth, in both the UK and UAE and further afield also. The fee share or consultancy model is one which will dominate the legal market in the future and Mezzle has been created at just the right time to be pioneers of this. We believe the future for Mezzle is bright and one which shall see our base not only grow in the UK and UAE but also other jurisdictions. We are already in talks to open offices in two other locations in the next 12 months, which shall be a massive achievement for the firm. Challenging and changing the traditional approach to the legal sector is what is key here and Mezzle is at the forefront of making this happen.

Henzie Healley: In Her Own Words

I am an accomplished and skilled, common law qualified lawyer living in Dubai but servicing clients from all around the world. I studied Business Management in Canada, before going on to study law in New Zealand and qualified with an LLB with Honors in New Zealand and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in 2014. I moved to Dubai in 2014 after being offered a permanent role at an international law firm. In 2019 I founded my legal consultancy and simultaneously, started an organic paint company both of which have been hugely successful and have grown very quickly. In 2021, I merged the Abu Dhabi legal consultancy with a UK firm, rebranded it, and am now a partner and Managing Director of Mezzle Middle East. The founders of Mezzle though are Raj Sumal and Mel Kang. Both of them worked at various prestigious firms before creating Mezzle. Tired of the old way of working, they decided to create something revolutionary through the Mezzle Cloud which has completely transformed the way that legal services are being provided. Raj and Mel have a combined experience of over 20 years.

“We are already in talks to open offices in two other locations in the next 12 months, which shall be a massive achievement for the firm.”