Leading Flexible Legal Talent Provider Announces New General Counsel and Chief Product Officer
Axiom, the global leader in high-caliber, on-demand legal talent, is proud to announce the addition of two key executives to its leadership team. Ashlin Quirk joins as General Counsel (GC), while Katrina Benjamin assumes the role of Chief Product Officer (CPO). These strategic hires reflect Axiom's ongoing commitment to providing clients with a more efficient and effective means of accessing legal talent, and offering lawyers and legal professionals who are passionate about practicing law a more self-directed career path. The additions to Axiom's Executive Leadership Team also reflect the company's continued growth, as more legal departments embrace the benefits of flexible legal talent in a cost-controlled environment, and better position Axiom for additional growth initiatives.
"As the legal industry continues to evolve, Axiom is committed to not only evolving alongside it, but leading the way forward," said David McVeigh, Chief Executive Officer at Axiom. "With Katrina Benjamin as our new CPO, we have an executive who can help us do just that. Katrina's expertise in two-sided marketplace businesses will help us scale our legal talent platform, better enabling clients to seamlessly connect with the lawyers and legal professionals they need. In addition, Ashlin Quirk's expertise and unique insight as a former Axiom client will be instrumental to unlocking future industry innovation while still maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements."
With an impressive career spanning both Big Law and in-house roles, Quirk brings to Axiom the insight of a former client, a nuanced understanding of how legal departments benefit from the use of flexible legal talent, and a deep understanding of how to lead a global, high-performing legal team. Prior to joining Axiom, she served as EVP, General Counsel, Privacy Officer & Secretary at Dynata, a multinational data insights company operating in 40 countries around the world. Her experience with commercial contracts, labor and employment, privacy, and mergers and acquisitions will prove invaluable as Axiom continues to navigate the evolving legal landscape – for the company and for its clients – and her strategic guidance will be integral to Axiom's growth efforts.
Quirk succeeds Catherine Kemnitz as head of Axiom's legal function. Kemnitz, who was appointed Chief Legal Officer in 2020 and recently moved into the role of Axiom's Chief Strategy and Development Officer, played an instrumental role in the launch of Axiom Advice & Counsel, Axiom's Arizona-based law firm, earlier this year.
"As a former client, I have witnessed firsthand Axiom's commitment to excellence and innovation within the industry and its unwavering dedication to providing unparalleled legal services," said Quirk. "I am particularly excited to leverage my previous experience to contribute to the company's continued advancement."
Katrina Benjamin brings to her role as Axiom's Chief Product Officer a wealth of experience developing and scaling two-sided marketplaces. Her product leadership roles at Upwork, in particular, give her unique insight into the nuances of developing effective and efficient talent-centric marketplaces. Axiom will lean into that expertise as the company continues to build upon its vision of a legal talent platform that can empower in-house teams to find the right legal talent, right away.
Most recently, Benjamin served as the CPO of ApartmentList, an online marketplace connecting renters with properties, where she drove deeper digital engagement from both sides of the marketplace. Prior to ApartmentList, she spent 8 years at Upwork where she held a variety of product leadership and marketing roles, ending as the GM of Talent Marketplace. Her background and passion make her the ideal fit to lead a team devoted to applying technology to better connect clients to legal talent efficiently and effectively.
"Axiom has built an incredible brand and business, enabling in-house legal departments to hire great talent cost-effectively, and enabling talented attorneys to choose work they love to do," said Benjamin. "I believe that technology can drive even more success for both clients and legal professionals through increased speed and control over hiring, and ultimately drive the Axiom business to new heights."