Case Study
117xROI - $190,318/month in previously uncaptured billable time recovered
- Firm Name: Clean Energy Counsel
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Practice Area: Renewable Energy Law
- Firm Size: 40+
117X Return on Investment
+1.3 Extra Hours Per Day
$21.2K Extra Revenue Per User / Month
$190K Total Monthly Recovery
The Practice
Clean Energy Counsel is a 40-plus-attorney renewable energy law firm headquartered in San Francisco. Founded in 2014 by Steve Holman, former General Counsel at SunEdison, the firm handles solar project finance, wind development, M&A, regulatory work, and tax incentive structuring across 14 states.
The work demands constant context-switching: an attorney might spend 20 minutes on a solar PPA, shift to an email about a wind project, then review a regulatory filing for a third client. At the rates Clean Energy Counsel commands, each missed 0.1-hour increment carries real cost.
The Story
"I Was Super Skeptical"
Attorney Brett Martino had tried other AI timekeeping tools before Ajax. His experience was typical of lawyers who've been burned by overpromising software.
"I was super skeptical, because I've used a number of tools that try to do something like this, and they're all miserable. This one is working really well. So, yeah, overwhelming enthusiasm you've got."
Brett Martino, Attorney
The firm started with a focused pilot group and has since rolled out Ajax to nearly the entire firm. Within days, Ajax had learned client-specific formatting requirements and matter codes. About 50% of generated entries needed zero edits.
The Results
$190,318/Month Recovered Across 9 Timekeepers
| Metric | Before Ajax | With Ajax | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Billable Hours / Day | 3.9 | 5.2 | +1.3 |
| Avg. Billable $ / Day | $2,238 | $3,158 | +$919 |
| Extra Revenue / User / Month | $21,146 | ||
| Total Monthly Recovery (9 users) | $190,318 | ||
| Return on Investment | 117x |
Firm-wide average: +1.3 additional billable hours captured per timekeeper per day.
"This program is incredible! I'm reviewing my captured time from yesterday and am blown away! The accuracy of capturing the time, the narratives, finding the corresponding matters... I'm so impressed."
Kami Calderon
COO
Workflow Transformation
From 20 Minutes to 5 Minutes
Beyond revenue recovery, Ajax transformed daily timekeeping workflows. Managing Partner Marlena Schultz described the shift:
"I've actually been doing my time every day, which is new. The blank screen in our billing system is intimidating, but now I just open Ajax and I can do time in 5 minutes, instead of 20 minutes."
Marlena Schultz, Managing Partner
Partner Zach Crowley found that Ajax didn't just save time on data entry. It made the process enjoyable.
"This is going to sound strange, but doing my time is almost fun now."
Zach Crowley, Partner
What The Team Says
Voices From Across the Firm
"The narratives... they're awesome. I think they're outstanding."
Brett Mertino
Attorney
"It's like magic - two years ago this would have been impossible."
Eric Vanderhoef
Attorney
"So far it's been great... literally a 50% increase in recorded time because I just was really bad at it, and now it's making sure I put it all in, every little .1... which adds up."
Shane Davis
Attorney
About Customer
About Clean Energy Counsel
Clean Energy Counsel LLP was founded in 2014 in San Francisco by Steve Holman, former General Counsel at SunEdison and Radian Generation. The firm has grown to over 40 attorneys licensed across 14 states, specializing in the full lifecycle of clean energy project development, financing, construction, and regulatory compliance. Recognized by Chambers USA and U.S. News Best Law Firms, Clean Energy Counsel advises on solar, wind, storage, and emerging technology transactions for developers, investors, and utilities nationwide.