Success Story with HotelTonight

"UpCounsel gives HotelTonight seamless access to the high quality legal advice and subject expertise that we’d expect from a big law firm but at a lower price."

Karen Klein

HotelTonight's in-house General Counsel Attorney

HotelTonight is a hotel booking application designed for mobile from the ground up, offering competitive pricing for last-minute hotel deals booked up to 7 days in advance. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Employee Count: 251-500

How Does HotelTonight Benefit by Working with UpCounsel?

Karen uses UpCounsel to Streamline Legal Operations

1. Handling Overflow Employment Work
With hundreds of employees and only one in-house attorney, General Counsel Karen Klein depends on outside counsel for high volumes of employment work. UpCounsel helped her find an employment law expert at a fraction of the cost of a large law firm.

UpCounsel quickly matched Karen with a UPenn Law School graduate whose clients include Tesla Motors.

Despite initial skepticism about finding an attorney online, Karen was impressed by UpCounsel attorneys' substantial experience in big law firms and in-house at high-profile companies.

2. Delivering Access to Responsive, High Quality Attorneys
Responsiveness and quality are crucial. UpCounsel provides Karen quick access to experienced attorneys who respond promptly to her inquiries and deliver high-caliber legal advice.

3. Matching Unique Legal Needs with Subject Matter Experts
UpCounsel connects Karen with a range of subject matter experts, allowing her to choose the right attorney based on past client reviews and a custom proposal including expected costs. A free phone consultation is also available.

Karen describes UpCounsel’s platform as "intuitive," meeting the standards she expects as a General Counsel in the tech industry.

The Challenge

Responsive Industry Subject Matter Experts
Karen needs quick access to specialists for employment policies and contracts, knowing she won't have enough in-house attorneys for every specialty matter.

Karen needed to hire a responsive, high-quality employment attorney at a reasonable cost, even for routine work.

Budget Predictability: “No Surprises”
Karen values transparency in legal fees, and usually struggles with unexpected costs from large firms that lack upfront estimates.

A High Volume of Employment Work
Karen estimates about 100 hours of legal work per week, necessitating someone to manage overflow work without expanding her in-house department.

The Solution

Direct Access to High-Quality Subject Matter Experts
UpCounsel matched Karen with an attorney, Josh Garber, who has the specific expertise needed and has worked with high-profile clients.

A Contract Expert In-House
Knowing Josh’s capabilities, Karen integrated him with HotelTonight’s HR department to help with policies and employment contracts. His value-added service included identifying relevant local laws and statutory updates.

Karen appreciated that UpCounsel attorneys have worked at major firms and in-house at top companies.

The Time Saved was the “Biggest Win”
Delegating employment tasks to experts like Josh allows Karen to focus on other priorities, significantly freeing up her time.

Transparent Pricing with a Proposal Upfront
Karen values UpCounsel's straightforward and transparent pricing, helping her avoid surprises in costs for the CFO.

She maintains a “no surprises” rule with her CFO regarding legal expenses.

With UpCounsel, Karen avoids the overhead costs typical of large firms while still getting high-quality legal advice at manageable rates, even for routine work.

A Go-To Attorney for Expert Advice
Initially hired for a single project, Karen’s ongoing relationship with Josh has proven beneficial, allowing her quick access to expert counsel without hefty bills.