A newly crested unicorn led by the founder of Dotloop has snagged one of Cincinnati's best-known startup attorneys for its C-suite.
David Willbrand, a longtime partner at Thompson Hine, has joined Pacaso as its chief legal officer, the company announced Wednesday. Willbrand chaired Thompson Hine's startup and venture capital team, growing it into one of the most prominent in the Midwest.
Pacaso is led by Cincinnati entrepreneur Austin Allison, who exited real estate startup Dotloop in a $108 million sale to Zillow in 2015. The company aims to make second-home ownership more accessible.
Willbrand will oversee all legal and corporate governance for the fast-growing company, which officials have previously said they aspire to take public.
“I've worked closely with Austin for many years, so making this move feels natural, and I'm really excited about it,” Willbrand said in a statement. “I'll miss my other startup clients, and my startup teammates at Thompson Hine, but they all have been supportive and enthusiastic. People in the world of startups understand and appreciate how incredibly rare it is to find a company with that special alchemy of great people, great funders, and great markets. That's Pacaso, and the opportunity was irresistible.”
In late March, Pacaso announced $75 million in new capital at a valuation of $1 billion, making it the fastest startup to reach unicorn status. It’s been five months since its launch.
The company is based in California but with an equally distributed team and office in Cincinnati.
To learn more about Pacaso and why Cincinnati plays a big role in its future, check out our recent sitdown with Allison here.
Thompson Hine is the seventh-largest law firm in Greater Cincinnati, with 59 local attorneys, according to Courier research.
