Knights has provided specialist SRA regulatory advice on US technology company Carta’s acquisition of UK-based AI-native law firm Avantia, supporting the launch of Carta Law.
Carta acquires Avantia to launch Carta Law
US-based fintech and fund administration platform Carta has acquired Avantia Law, an innovative, AI-enabled law firm headquartered in the UK. The transaction enables the creation of Carta Law, a new legal offering designed to deliver integrated legal and compliance services to Carta’s global asset management and investor client base.
Carta Law will combine AI-powered legal workflow automation with oversight from qualified lawyers through Avantia’s established law firm structure. The platform is expected to support a range of high-volume, process-driven legal services, including non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), know-your-customer (KYC) reviews, compliance checks, and other routine transactional work across private market transactions.
Growing demand for AI and legal tech in private markets
The transaction reflects growing demand among private equity, venture capital and asset management firms for unified, technology-enabled infrastructure. Firms are increasingly seeking efficiencies as they face rising regulatory complexity, increased transaction volumes, and pressure to reduce operational costs.
Founded in 2019, Avantia has developed proprietary legal technology, including its agentic AI platform Ava, which automates high-volume transactional and contracting processes for private markets clients. Carta’s broader platform delivers a comprehensive suite of services, including capitalisation table management, fund administration, financial reporting, and limited partner portfolio management.
Knights advises on SRA approval
A specialist team at Knights, led by Corporate Partner Rachel Khiara and Senior Associate Saskia Robinson, advised Avantia on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) approval process and wider regulatory requirements for the transaction. The team successfully secured SRA approval within 60 days, approximately half the typical timeframe for comparable transactions.
Stuart Swift, General Counsel at Avantia Law, said:
"Rachel and the Knights team brought exceptional regulatory expertise and commercial insight to every stage of this transaction. Their ability to navigate the complexities of establishing Carta Law, including direct engagement with the SRA while maintaining focus on our business objectives, made them invaluable partners throughout."
“Rachel and the Knights team brought exceptional regulatory expertise and commercial insight to every stage of this transaction.”
Stuart Swift, GC - Avantia Law
Rachel Khiara, Corporate Partner at Knights, added:
"It was a pleasure to support Avantia and Carta on this landmark transaction...
The combination of Carta’s platform and Avantia’s AI-driven legal capabilities creates a compelling proposition for the private markets sector, and we look forward to seeing Carta Law develop.
We are particularly proud to have delivered the SRA approval process at pace, demonstrating Knights’ ability to provide clear, pragmatic regulatory advice on complex and innovative structures.
We wish the Carta Law team every success as they embark on this exciting new chapter."