Matthieu Pacaud: the lawyer who chose full remote and start-ups

The lawyer who chose freedom: the path of Matthieu Pacaud

This week on Le Cheat Code, we have an episode apart. An episode that does you good. Because it breaks the codes. Because it opens doors. And above all, because it shows that another way of practising law is possible.

A lawyer unlike the others

Matthieu Pacaud is the stuff of the digital nomad dozing inside all of us. This lawyer, working exclusively with SaaS publishers, works from anywhere in the world. Literally.

But make no mistake: this is not luck. It is the result of a clear, methodical path, deeply aligned with his values.

One driver: freedom

Matthieu does not dream of becoming a figure of the bar. He chases neither distinctions nor size. He is not looking to recruit, still less to grow a classic firm. What he wants is to choose: his clients, his projects, his hours, his places of work.

And to get there, he put everything in place, patiently, over more than 10 years.

Three reasons to listen to this episode

1. A source of inspiration for lawyers after another model
Matthieu tells it without a filter: how he left the world of the firm to carve his own path. He shares the concrete steps of his transition, his doubts, his rough patches, and above all how he works today.

2. A stance without a lecture
No criticism of his peers, no setting up of opposites. Just a frank, humble, useful account. He does not preach, he shares.

3. Concrete business advice
You will find out how he defined his position, found his first clients, and built an outsourced legal department offer 100% suited to his target.

A path that was built, not stumbled into

After a short stint in a firm, Matthieu joined a company, then went out on his own. In 2015 he built his website with one simple idea: speak to start-ups. He stood out quickly.

In 2019, legal secondment entered the picture. A recruitment firm approached him for a one-off assignment that would become a turning point. He discovered the pleasure of being immersed inside a company without leaving his standing as a lawyer.

Then came COVID. He tried Malt. He discovered full remote. And from there, no going back. Paris was over. Matthieu now works from Portugal, from Italy, or from elsewhere. Always seriously, always close to his clients, but remotely.

And his target, SaaS start-ups, loves it.

An episode not to miss

This conversation is a breath of air. If you are a lawyer, thinking about your own practice, or simply curious about another model, go for it.