Local startup, Virtual Law Office Technology (VLO Tech), recently was acquired by Chicago-based Total Attorneys, which provides national marketing campaigns, professional call center services and case management software.

With the acquisition, the two co-founders, Benjamin Norman and Stephanie Kimbro, will join Total Attorney and continue to develop the virtual law office software.  Kimbro will be a Total Attorneys Evangelist, building awareness of the virtual law office concept,  as well as continue to operate her virtual law office in North Carolina. Norman will join the Total Attorneys team as a senior developer.

Total Attorneys was listed as one of the fastest growing companies in INC Magazine’s INC 50.  According to INC, Total Attorneys has more than 1,100 law firm customers across the United States and had $23.9 million in revenue in 2008 (almost 1,000% growth since 2003).

VLO Tech was founded by the husband and wife team in 2007, and recently was recognized at the Coastal Entrepreneur Awards for best emerging company. Kimbro and Norman have funded the company and developed the concept and the software themselves.

VLO Tech provides a hosted application that allow lawyers to practice law remotely via the Internet. Clients are able to log in anytime to check on the status of their legal matter, collaborate with their attorney, securely upload and download documents, complete legal forms, update personal information, review invoices and make payments.

“Combining with VLO Tech furthers our mission to improve the quality and delivery of legal services for consumers and attorneys,” said Kevin Chern, President of Total Attorneys.

“It was really a match made in heaven,” said Kimbro. “Their product generates leads, but [attorneys] were missing the ability to work remotely with clients.”  Norman said he plans to travel to Chicago regularly during the transition to continue the development of the project, then work remotely from Wilmington.  “We will be able to work with their developers and their infrastructure,” Kimbro said.

In addition to the sale of the company, Kimbro also said that she has been selected by the American Bar Assocation (ABA), to write a book on virtual law practices. The book, due out next summer, will be published by the ABA and will serve as how-to manual on setting up a practice of this type.

The acquisition could not have come at a better time for the couple, who could not keep up the demand for the software while running the company themselves, she said.  Kimbro explained that they had almost 200 leads for new customers, but could not manage the software development and sales process without additional resources. “It was just Ben and I and we boot-strapped the whole thing.” Kimbro said she could not comment on the value of the deal. “Under the terms of the deal we are not allowed to disclose any amounts or values that we received from Total Attorneys at closing,” Kimbro said.