The team at Actuate Law was more than a little thrilled when the firm chose Wynwood for its first office outside of its Chicago headquarters.
"We fell in love with the talent, creativity and excitement you can feel in the neighborhood," said Managing Partner Dara Tarkowski. "I don't think you can walk down the street in Wynwood without feeling inspired in some way."
Actuate is a technology-forward firm that focuses on emerging technology and markets, such as cannabis, fintech, cybersecurity and intellectual property. It considered several markets – including New York, Washington, D.C. and California – for its first expansion until the Miami tech movement gained the national spotlight earlier this year. Like many startup founders, Actuate was hooked by local efforts to welcome new tech businesses and investors to the city. So were the firm's clients, many of whom made their own moves to the Magic City.
They weren't alone. South Florida has been a hot spot for company relocations and office expansions since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, a trend that only accelerated after Miami Mayor Francis Suarez's now-famous "How can I help?" tweet. The Wynwood Arts District became a magnet for transplants and new technology ventures, including major names like Founders Fund and Spotify.
Actuate was started in 2018 by Tarkowski and her founding partners Phil Tortorich and Doug Albritton. She described the team as a group of "big law refugees" – Tarkowski herself is a former partner at Miami-based Akerman LLP – who wanted to devote their attention to entrepreneurs, startups and emerging markets.
Which makes sense, since Actuate isn't just a law firm — it's also a tech company in its own right. Its subsidiary, Quointec, is a platform that creates custom, automated legal and compliance advice that users can access in a cloud-based subscription model for a monthly fee. Sort of like robot lawyers.
Quointec is designed to provide solutions for common, repeatable compliance questions that clients may have. Instead of picking up their phone to call their lawyer (and get billed for an hourly rate), they can turn to the software.
"We don't want to just talk to clients about innovation," Tarkowski said. "We want to innovate ourselves."
That includes innovation through education. Actuate is partnering with Keiser University in West Palm Beach to develop what they believe is the first financial technology graduate degree program in the U.S. While some colleges are offering certificate in the area, the Keiser program will go further and offer a master's degree. Actuate is helping the university develop its curriculum for that program, which could be available as soon as next year.
By that time, Actuate will be settled in its new Wynwood office: The company leased a 3,000-square-foot space in the 545 Wyn office tower on Northwest 26th Street and plans to open the location in early 2022. Tarkowski will split her time between Chicago and Miami, where the firm is hiring additional lawyers for its regulatory, litigation and private client divisions. In addition to serving as a base for local hires, the Miami office will function as a collaboration space for visiting team members and a meeting place for clients.
"It's hard to verbalize how excited we are to be a part of the legal culture in Miami and for Quointec to become part of the innovation landscape as the city's tech ecosystem continues to emerge," Tarkowski said.
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