Contend is reimagining what it means to access legal support: fast, accurate, and affordable. At the helm is Michael Stych, a legal-tech expert with deep AI and SaaS experience, and a personal connection to the barriers many face in the justice system. Alongside co-founder William Boan, a lawyer and software engineer, Stych launched Contend to tackle one of the biggest systemic issues in law: access.
Founded in Canada but laser-focused on the UK legal system, Contend leverages language-based AI to guide individuals through real legal problems such as wrongful evictions, contract disputes, and more. Their vision: to become the front door for legal help online.
As early-stage founders launching into a new regulatory and cultural market, Contend joined LawtechUK, a Ministry of Justice initiative delivered by CodeBase and Legal Geek. The programme gave them critical connections, UK-specific insight, and credibility as newcomers.
This is a case study on launching internationally with purpose, scaling responsibly with speed, and building a high-trust AI company in one of the most regulated sectors of all.
Contend was born from dual expertise and a shared frustration with how inaccessible legal help remains for most people. Michael brought years of SaaS and AI experience from a leadership role in a YC-backed legal tech firm. His co-founder, Will, combined legal training with deep engineering knowledge, an uncommon pairing that made Contend possible.
In 2023, the launch of ChatGPT accelerated everything. The insight was simple but urgent: Language is the currency of law, and large language models opened a new frontier for access. The duo quit stable jobs, drew up a financial runway plan, and committed full-time to solving what they saw as the biggest unmet need in the legal system: a platform that puts the public, not just professionals, at the centre.
With the UK as their launch market, they began building.
Before joining LawtechUK, Michael and Will were two founders in Toronto preparing to launch a UK-based legal startup, without any UK roots. They were navigating regulatory hurdles, lacking market proximity, and building traction without institutional support.
The early results were promising: a live product, organic user growth, and high conviction. But there were gaps in understanding pertaining to regulatory frameworks, market norms, and trust signals critical to legal tech.
They had chosen the UK for its strong rule of law, clarity of regulation, and cultural alignment. But getting product validation in such a high-trust sector from abroad posed challenges.
They needed more: More access, more credibility, and deeper connections into the UK ecosystem.
LawtechUK, managed by CodeBase, offered all three. LawtechUK became the connective tissue between intention and execution, helping Contend navigate market expectations and refine its offering for UK users.
For Contend, LawtechUK delivered immediate value. More than founder content or frameworks, the programme helped them unlock ecosystem access in a new market. From introductions to UK regulators to guidance on early operational challenges like legal admin support, LawtechUK gave Contend a foothold, practically and reputationally.
Though Michael came with startup experience, launching in the UK required new relationships, local expertise, and credible signals. LawtechUK helped open those doors and offered a trusted stamp of confidence for external partners, regulators, and funders alike.
Beyond programming, LawtechUK delivered a founder-led, peer-backed experience. As a mentor and mentee in the programme, Michael gained dual perspectives: on the importance of ecosystem reciprocity and on the practical hurdles legal tech founders face.
What mattered wasn’t just knowledge transfer, but insight from those a few steps ahead. For Contend, this ecosystem-first model reinforced a core belief: legal tech isn’t built in isolation. It’s built with others who’ve scaled, regulated, and raised before.
The network gave Contend not only feedback loops but confidence as well, an essential fuel when building trust-first, AI-led platforms. Whether navigating compliance nuance or pressure-testing go-to-market assumptions, the LawtechUK community offered real-world context that otherwise-sourced content rarely delivers. That access to seasoned perspective transformed strategy from theory to practice.
For Contend, it meant clarity, credibility, and the confidence to move faster with fewer blind spots.
Contend didn’t just validate in the UK market they started building with speed. Since completing LawtechUK, they’ve raised venture capital from global firms, scaled from two to eight people, and grown their user base into the tens of thousands, all while maintaining their commitment to affordability and trust.
Their traction and early success positioned them as a standout in legal tech, proving that high-impact startups can scale responsibly. What followed the programme was a period of rapid but deliberate growth, focused not on hype, but on sustainable infrastructure and user outcomes.
As a result, Contend now operates as both a product company and a values-driven platform. One that understands that user trust isn’t a growth hack; it’s the strategy.
Contend has now helped thousands of people begin to resolve real legal problems, from unfair dismissals to landlord disputes. Their product is evolving fast, with each release offering deeper support and broader issue coverage.
With the UK market proving strong fit and growing demand, Contend is focused on expanding platform depth and preparing for international scaling. Their bold vision? Become the starting point for anyone seeking legal help online, anywhere in the world.
Key Milestones:
LawtechUK, delivered by CodeBase, was more than a UK market primer. It gave Contend the credibility and community needed to scale internationally. For Michael, it offered a launchpad into one of the world’s most complex legal markets, backed by mentors, regulators, and peers.
For other ecosystem builders, government, academia, corporates, this case shows what happens when access is paired with conviction, and when trusted infrastructure helps founders operate at speed.
Follow Contend on LinkedIn for updates on legal tech innovation, community partnerships, and access-to-justice impact.
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