SmartEsq LogoBig Law Partner Co-Launches Startup Aiming to Transform Fund Formation Process
Former Paul Hastings partner Esther Chiang and computer scientist Kristen Gandhi are launching a startup called SmartEsq aimed at automating time-consuming tasks in the fund formation process.
February 04, 2025 at 08:00 AM
5 minute read
On Tuesday, SmartEsq, a new startup founded by former Paul Hastings fund formation partner Esther Chiang and computer scientist Kristen Gandhi, announced its official launch. The startup aims to automate time-consuming elements of the fund formation process by applying artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to workflows created by industry experts.
Chiang is the company’s CEO, with Gandhi serving as CTO. They are joined by a broader founding team that includes Paul Patrow, another Paul Hastings partner who met Chiang while both were at Kirkland & Ellis, as the startup’s CLO, and Katherine Loanzon, a legal recruiter who previously worked as a solo practitioner, as COO.
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