I first met Drew Tanner, Partner at LaRocca, Hornik, Rosen & Greenberg LLP, at the NPLA Conference in Miami, March 2025. Even in a room full of professionals, Drew stood out—sharp, articulate, and genuinely passionate about the legal side of private lending. We spoke briefly then, and I had a sense there was more to discover.
That opportunity came a few months later in Atlantic City, during the June edition of NPLA. This time, we had a real chance to sit down and talk. What started as a casual conversation quickly became one of the most fascinating interviews I’ve had this year—especially when Drew began telling me about Doc Lab, LHR&G’s new platform.
“We built Doc Lab to solve a real problem,” Drew said. “Clients were constantly telling us they needed to move faster. But they didn’t want to lose the legal protection that comes with working with a firm like ours. So we asked: how can we give them both?”I asked him to explain what exactly Doc Lab does. I thought I was going to hear about another document generator—but what he described was much more robust.
“Doc Lab is a smart, lender-specific platform that allows our clients to generate complete, ready-to-sign loan documents in minutes. It’s not just templates. It’s structured logic that adapts to each deal.”He paused for a moment, then added with a smile:
“And it’s designed by lawyers who know this business inside out.”That’s when it clicked. LHR&G wasn’t trying to cut legal teams out of the process. They were doing the opposite—bringing legal expertise into the tech in a way that makes it instantly accessible.
“We’re not replacing lawyers,” Drew clarified. “We’re giving clients a tool that makes the legal process more efficient, while still being backed by our attorneys. There’s a review system in place. If something needs deeper legal attention, we’re still there.”I asked about speed—because in private lending, turnaround times can make or break a deal.
“Time kills deals, right?” he said. “So with Doc Lab, you log in, input the details of your loan, and in minutes you get a complete set of documents—promissory note, mortgage or deed of trust, guarantees, assignments, whatever the deal requires.”What impressed me was how tailored it is to the private lending world. Drew emphasized that the system accounts for jurisdictional differences, collateral types, borrower profiles, and even default terms based on what the lender prefers.
“It’s not one-size-fits-all,” he told me. “We’ve built in safeguards, state-specific requirements, and customizable options. So whether you’re funding a fix-and-flip in Florida or a bridge loan in New York, you get the right documents—fast and correct.”We shifted the conversation to who’s using it.
“It’s being used by lenders, yes,” he said. “But also by brokers, loan officers, and investment groups. Anyone who’s doing deals and needs a way to move fast—without sacrificing quality.”He also mentioned that Doc Lab integrates with systems many lenders already use, making the adoption seamless.
“You don’t have to change your whole workflow. Doc Lab can operate as a standalone tool or connect through an API to your existing CRM or LOS.”But what about those last-minute changes? Deals are rarely static.
“Exactly,” Drew nodded. “Doc Lab lets you make real-time edits. You don’t have to regenerate everything from scratch. It’s dynamic. If you change the interest rate or revise a maturity date, the platform adjusts the documents immediately.”That flexibility, paired with legal oversight, makes Doc Lab stand out in a crowded space.
“Most platforms force you to choose: speed or security,” he said. “Doc Lab is both.”Before we wrapped up, I asked what this meant for Loan Officers and Account Executives specifically—our core readership.
“They win big,” Drew said without hesitation. “If you’re a Loan Officer, this gives you leverage. You can serve your clients faster. You can close more deals. You don’t need to chase attorneys for every document update. And you can trust that what you’re sending out is solid.”
“It makes you more professional, more responsive, and ultimately, more successful.”We ended our conversation with a final reflection.
“At LHR&G, we’ve always believed that the legal side of private lending doesn’t have to be slow or complicated. Doc Lab is proof of that. It’s the legal edge—delivered with the speed of business.”As I left the conference floor, I couldn’t help but think: in an industry that’s moving faster than ever, Doc Lab might just be what keeps top professionals ahead of the curve.