Partner and team moves

We are one of the world’s leading specialists for partner and team search, working on some of the most high-profile moves in the market.

Explore Partner and team search recruitment


Market-leading partner and team search 

Globally renowned and vastly experienced, we are a trusted and market-leading partner and team search specialist. 

We have built long-lasting partnerships with many of the world’s most prestigious law firms, as well as countless mid-sized, boutique and regional practices. As trusted advisors, we are often retained on partner searches and frequently help our law firm clients to launch teams and offices in new locations. 

Everything we do in this area is harnessed by our exceptional global network of legal contacts, and the unrivalled sector knowledge of our search specialists. With a genuine understanding of market complexity, we speak your language. 

benefits

By choosing to work with us, you will benefit from: 

Genuine global reach

Through 13 global offices we have completed projects in more than 55 locations. Through our extensive network we can consistently deliver in your search for talent  

An unrivalled track record

We have been responsible for some of the highest profile partner and team moves in the legal profession. We know how to achieve your goals 

Market longevity

We pioneered the first recruitment consultancies in numerous global locations. We offer local market knowledge on a global scale

Focused expertise

Our knowledge is entirely focused on the legal profession – we speak your language, and understand your markets 

Discretion and integrity

You can rely on us to represent you to the same high standards that you offer to your clients


Latest resources

Professionals meet in person in an office

Talent is everywhere, access is not: Russell Johnstone on purposeful trusteeship

  • Posted September 9, 2026
Contents Share For Russell Johnstone, trusteeship is where senior commercial judgment meets social purpose. With a career advising some of the UK’s most prominent consumer, media and technology businesses, including as General Counsel for BT’s Consumer division, he now brings board-level judgment, regulatory fluency and commercial discipline to three organisations united by a powerful idea: […]
Close up of a woman at work, green shirt, making hand gestures

How data protection leaders can hold the C-suite’s attention

  • Posted September 4, 2026
Contents Share Key insights Executive attention is the scarcest resource a data protection function competes for. Winning the C-suite’s attention is often the easy part: a regulatory deadline or a data breach naturally puts privacy on the board agenda without any effort from the Data Protection Officer (DPO).   Keeping that attention is what allows privacy programmes to grow beyond a team of one.  Across data protection recruitment, the […]
Woman presenting ideas via graphs

How tech and life sciences companies should hire legal leaders for growth

  • Posted September 4, 2026
Contents Share Key insights High-growth companies rarely need the same legal function for long.  A technology startup may initially need support with intellectual property and commercial contracts before enterprise growth, AI adoption or international expansion changes the legal brief. A life sciences company may move from fundraising and IP protection into clinical development, licensing and commercialization.  The challenge is recognising when […]
Shot of a group of businesspeople having a meeting in an office

What does a data centre lawyer do? Understanding one of the legal market’s most elusive skill sets

  • Posted September 3, 2026
Contents Share Key insights What is the remit of a data centre lawyer? It is a question we are being asked with increasing frequency by C-suite leaders preparing to make their first General Counsel hire, by existing in-house legal teams assessing where their capability gaps lie, and by lawyers themselves trying to understand how to […]
Corporate Buildings in Colmore Row Birmingham. Birminghams fincanial and legal business area.

Real estate partner hiring in Birmingham law firms

  • Posted September 3, 2026
Contents Share Key insights While activity across the Birmingham legal market remains strong, one practice area continues to attract more partner-level investment than any other: real estate. According to publicly available data tracked by Pirical, real estate accounted for 20 lateral partner hires in Birmingham between July 2025 and July 2026, representing 24% of all […]
Detail_Focused people working on laptops

Why more businesses are building in-house legal teams in UK regions

  • Posted September 2, 2026
Contents Share Key insights The UK’s in-house legal recruitment market has evolved significantly over the past decade. Businesses across Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and other major UK centres are building established legal functions, creating more choice over where organisations hire and where lawyers build their careers. This is not simply a shift away from London. It […]
Two people sitting across from the table from one another

Building a legal team? Why an interim General Counsel could be your first hire

  • Posted September 2, 2026
Contents Share Key insights For many growing businesses, hiring General Counsel and Legal Directors is a significant milestone. The challenge is knowing exactly when the business is ready for a permanent legal leader, understanding the difference between a General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer, and what that role should ultimately look like. Rather than recruiting […]
Shot of two businesspeople having a meeting in an office

The talent advantage in private equity exits

  • Posted August 28, 2026
Contents Share Key insights At a recent forum hosted with a leading mid-market private equity fund, portfolio company leaders were asked to identify their two biggest priorities when preparing for an exit or IPO. The results were fascinating. The overwhelming focus was on balancing exit preparation with business-as-usual delivery. Understandably, management teams are under immense […]
Close up of a woman at work, green shirt, making hand gestures

The skills company secretaries need to progress into senior roles

  • Posted July 28, 2026
Contents Share Key insights The company secretary role has always sat close to the boardroom, but the expectations placed on the function have changed considerably. Strong technical governance expertise remains essential, but it is no longer enough on its own. Today’s company secretaries are expected to help boards navigate regulation, stakeholder pressure, ESG scrutiny, technology […]
Two male colleagues discuss work at a laptop

How in-house legal teams in the US energy sector are adapting to regulatory complexity

  • Posted July 28, 2026
Contents Share Key insights Large-scale energy projects have always been complex.  What is changing is how early, and how extensively, legal teams are now involved in shaping whether those projects can move forward.  From permitting and environmental compliance to project finance, stakeholder management and major commercial agreements, in-house counsel recruitment is evolving as lawyers become involved much earlier […]
Businessman talking to colleagues in meeting

UK and Ireland in-house legal recruitment market update Q3

  • Posted July 13, 2026
Contents Key insights Corporate and commercial, London Banking and financial services, London Interim, London Regional UK Ireland Corporate and commercial, London Q2 saw confidence continue to build across the in-house legal market, although hiring remained measured and highly strategic. Businesses continue to navigate economic uncertainty, evolving regulation and rapid technological change, but there was greater […]