By Mike Sunnucks | Phoenix Business Journal
Scottsdale attorney Jordan Rose prides herself as being cutting edge, especially compared to Arizona’s traditionally buttoned-down and sometimes old-boy legal sector. Her law firm, Rose Law Group PC, runs its own news blog, has an ownership stake in Business Real Estate Weekly of Arizona, has concierge services for its attorneys and doesn’t shy away from controversial issues such as medical marijuana.
Now, Rose is accepting Bitcoins as payments from clients. Rose believes she’s the first major law firm in the Southwest to accept the virtual, digital currency transferred directly from person to person or business to business. The currency is popular in tech circles and in some international markets. They can be used to buy products and services from other businesses that accept Bitcoins. They also can be traded in for traditional currency and could be adopted by more Arizona companies.
“We always try to be ahead of the curve,” said Rose, who sees accepting Bitcoins as a business development and marketing tool appealing to technology clients.
The new effort also coincides with Rose Law Group ramping up new intellectual property and patent practices geared towards high-tech companies.
“We’ve got some innovative clients,” said Rose, whose firm’s roots are in the real estate sector. The new group is being headed by Robert Iussa, a former Snell & Wilmer LLP attorney.
As for those buttoned-down rivals Rose competes with for business?
“We couldn’t find a major firm who accepted Bitcoins,” she said. “Some firms and their representatives didn’t know what they were.”