# Robert Meltzer

> Robert C. “Bob” Meltzer is a Chicago-area lawyer and entrepreneur who founded VISANOW, now Envoy Global, and later founded Lawyer Exchange. A former VISANOW president and CEO, he now leads Vital Edge Coaching, advising law firm owners and legal technology executives on growth and operations.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Vital Edge Coaching
- **Organizations:** Vital Edge Coaching, VISANOW (now Envoy Global), Lawyer Exchange, Arnstein & Lehr, Katz, Randall & Weinberg, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Northern Illinois University College of Law
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in political science, University of Colorado Boulder, J.D., Northern Illinois University College of Law, LL.M. program in international business transactions, University of Salzburg / McGeorge School of Law
- **Known for:** Founded VISANOW, now Envoy Global., Built Lawyer Exchange, whose member base was acquired by EsquireX., Former adjunct professor of international law at Chicago-Kent.

## Career timeline

- **1985** — Earned J.D. from Northern Illinois University.
- **1986** — Returned to the United States and opened a private international law practice.
- **1991** — Merged his practice into Katz, Randall & Weinberg.
- **1993** — Joined Arnstein & Lehr as a partner.
- **1994** — Joined the adjunct faculty at Chicago-Kent, teaching international law.
- **1998** — Founded VISANOW, following development of the idea in 1997.
- **2010-2011** — Refocused VISANOW sales on small and medium-sized businesses.
- **2014** — VISANOW announced General Catalyst funding and new directors.
- **2015** — Became chief immigration strategist and remained a director as Richard Burke became president and CEO.
- **2016** — Exited VISANOW management; the company was renamed Envoy that year.
- **2017-2018** — Built and launched Lawyer Exchange; public accounts differ on the launch year.
- **2022** — Launched Vital Edge Coaching according to his biography; EsquireX announced acquisition of Lawyer Exchange’s member base in December.

## Achievements

- Founded VISANOW, now Envoy Global.
- Built Lawyer Exchange, whose member base was acquired by EsquireX.
- Former adjunct professor of international law at Chicago-Kent.
- Served on NIU College of Law’s Board of Visitors beginning in 2005.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Vital Edge listed its October 8-9 law firm growth workshop in Oak Brook as a past event, focused on organizational performance, legal production, marketing and sales.
- **2022-12** — EsquireX announced acquisition of Lawyer Exchange’s member base.

## Links

- Website: https://www.vitaledgecoaching.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-meltzer

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/robert-meltzer
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25