Looking For A Lucrative Alternative To Your Law Firm Job?
You should consider legal recruiting as real career option.
Michael Allen
Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts from Lateral Link’s team of expert contributors. Michael Allen Michael Allen is the CEO of Lateral Link. He is based in the Los Angeles office and focuses exclusively on Partner and General Counsel placements for top firms and companies. Prior to founding Lateral Link in 2006, he worked as an attorney at both Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Irell & Manella LLP. Michael graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, San Diego before earning his JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School.
You should consider legal recruiting as real career option. Our law firm division, Lateral Link, and our sister in-house division, Cadence Counsel, a WBE certified by the CPUC, are both hiring recruiters across all of our major markets.
Why are we ahead of the pack?
- Our Team. Founded by Harvard Law alumni over a decade ago, our legal recruiters are from top law schools who also formerly practiced at the best law firms and in house legal departments. Our clients and candidates treat us as peers and partners in their recruiting process. From Gloria Sandrino, a ’84 HLS alum (who leads our partner practice), to Sarah Morris, a ’07 Boalt Hall alum (who leads Cadence Counsel), we are a proven legal recruiting resource in the space.
- Our Reach. Unlike a lot of our regional competitors, we are large enough to provide the strongest resources (Leopard Solutions, LinkedIn Recruiter, a proprietary CRM and database, admin support, and marketing/business development investment), while small enough not to oversaturate any one market (and in fact have open territories for partner placements, given relationships that span the globe, unlike some larger competitors where regional managers have reputations for splitting commissions).
- Compensation and Mobility. Our compensation system is well above market. We pay 50-70% commissions, plus up to 15% performance bonuses, plus large Principal bonuses. In short, that’s around 50% higher than the other firms in our market. We are not flat, and there is room for upward mobility within the firm. If your firm is paying you only 47% or even 55% commissions and limiting your reach and ability to recruit in multiple practices, such as law firm (associate and partner) and in house, then you are not only getting paid less but also hindering your legal recruiting career with glass ceilings.
- Commitment to the Community. We are leaders in the business, social, and non-profit community. From YPO and the California Club in greater Los Angeles to a legal aid fund at Harvard Law and local non-profit organizations, we are part of the conversation with decision makers who are committed to making the community stronger. In fact, we committed $250,000 for a financial aid fund at Harvard Law School by donating ten percent of the fees earned through our firm’s placement of Harvard Law School alumni.
- Making You Whole. If you are hesitant about leaving your current legal recruiting firm or even foregoing your year-end bonus at a law firm, we will make exceptional candidates whole for what they would otherwise leave on the table. We have a long-term view on building our team and will help you bear the burden of short-term transition costs. In fact, we welcome all-stars with proven track records and will invest in bringing them on board. Our exceptional recruiters make 20+ placements annually. If you are committed and disciplined, there is nothing stopping you from doing the same with our platform.
We intend to only hire the best talent regardless of markets. From Hong Kong and Los Angeles to Chicago and New York, we are in no rush to hire, but opportunistic when we find the right fit. If you are looking to excel for the first time in legal recruiting or take your existing practice to a higher level that rewards performance, then we encourage you to submit your resume to us: [email protected].
Lateral Link is one of the top-rated international legal recruiting firms. With over 14 offices world-wide, Lateral Link specializes in placing attorneys at the most prestigious law firms and companies in the world. Managed by former practicing attorneys from top law schools, Lateral Link has a tradition of hiring lawyers to execute the lateral leaps of practicing attorneys. Click ::here:: to find out more about us.
