Meet Eric Proos | Founding Partner, Next Era Legal

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Proos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My partners and I were already operating our own independent law firms and service businesses and business owners. We heard the same type of complaints and issues when the businesses came to us. We decided that unifying our efforts, expanding on our fractional general counsel model, and changing the way law firms are viewed were our driving factors. My partners and I were each running our own firms and businesses, and we kept hearing the same frustrations from clients: legal support felt expensive, reactive, and disconnected from the way they actually worked. It became clear that we could make a bigger impact together. Unifying our efforts gave us the opportunity to expand on the fractional general counsel model and build something that challenges the traditional way law firms are viewed. At the end of the day, we wanted to create a practice that feels like a true partner to business owners, not just a service provider.

What should our readers know about your business?
It’s been a 13-year journey to get to where I am today as a founding partner of Next Era Legal, PLLC. After law school, I left metro Detroit for San Diego, knowing only my sister. I landed a clerkship at a small securities litigation firm, studied for the bar (passed on my first attempt), and then moved to Los Angeles for work. I spent seven years in LA, and during that time I launched my own firm, EJP Law.

Starting EJP Law was a turning point. After working at traditional firms for a few years, I almost walked away from the practice of law entirely. Running my own firm reminded me that practicing law could be fulfilling again, but only if I did it my way, not by following someone else’s playbook.

When I hit the ceiling of what I could do alone, my partners and I set our sights on something new, a law firm designed to operate like a business. That may sound obvious outside the legal world, but lawyers are constantly told we’re not a business, we’re “the practice of law.” That mindset has given the industry a reputation problem; legal is often seen as a bottleneck, a last resort for startups, or a cost center tied up in litigation.

With Next Era Legal, we set out to flip that script. We built the firm intentionally, its foundation, strategy, and client service model. Our role is more than legal counsel; we’re part of our clients’ teams, a trusted advisor, and often the quarterback helping them navigate challenges. We move at their pace, not ours, and we’ve built systems and processes that make legal more efficient, something most firms struggle with.
Getting here wasn’t easy. Our nine-month planning process forced us to wrestle with tough questions. Once we launched, not everything went as planned. But instead of defaulting to a “traditional” law firm approach when things got hard, we doubled down on running Next Era like a business. It’s not perfect, and we still have work to do, but we’re already miles ahead of where we started, and we know the best is still ahead.

Here’s what I want people to know: law as you know it, the lawyer jokes, the clichés about deals dying in legal, is changing. At Next Era Legal, we’ve built a firm for efficiency, accessibility, and growth. Through our fractional general counsel model, we give businesses the benefits of in-house counsel without the price tag.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend came out for a week, I’d kick things off by picking him up at the airport. Coming from the Midwest, I know the first stop would have to be the beach, probably Coronado. A walk through the Hotel Del and around the island is the perfect way to stretch the legs, catch some ocean views, and ease into San Diego.

From there, I’d show him Balboa Park, between the bridges, gardens, and walking paths, it’s one of those spots that always makes an impression. By dinner, we’d head to North Park for tacos at The Taco Stand or City Tacos, then finish with a whiskey or two at 7 Grand, one of his favorites.
Day two would be about golf at Torrey Pines. Having him play the PGA tournament course that’s in my backyard is a must. After the round, we’d grab food in La Jolla, Puesto or Candor, before heading downtown for a Padres game at Petco Park.

The rest of the week would mix in more golf in Carlsbad, Oceanside, and hopefully Rams Hill if we can get a tee time, plus a day hiking through Cleveland National Forest to switch it up. We’d wrap the trip with dinner in Little Italy, maybe Born and Raised, Kettner Exchange, or Seneca, depending on what he’s in the mood for.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d have to dedicate this Shoutout article to my family and my fiancée. They have been amazing driving forces for me and have been supportive throughout.

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