Partner Placement

Recruiting at the partner level is quite possibly the most complex, demanding and enjoyable aspect of a senior recruiter’s practice. Over the last decade, individual partners and law firms have increasingly turned to professional recruiters to advise and assist them in all stages of the recruitment process. Marsden Partners was established to provide such recruitment and strategic advisory services to:

Individual Partners and Partner Teams thinking of making a move to another firm
Law firms seeking to recruit Partners

How We Work with You

A partner contemplating a move can find the experience to be both isolating and stressful. We are able to provide you with tailored guidance, advice and support which is professional and empathetic while being constructive and impartial. This support is available to you as and when you may need it and we encourage you to call on us whenever you feel we can be of help. The core values of our business are to:

understand and uphold our candidates’ and our clients’ respective interests;
maintain honesty and integrity throughout the entire recruitment process;
provide unbiased and comprehensive advice to both our clients and candidates at all times.

Process

No two situations are the same and for that reason, there cannot be one overriding procedure with which to deal with every scenario. Having said that, there are some common themes which underlie our approach to your recruitment considerations:

Initial Consultation

A detailed discussion is the basis for identifying the factors which may be the cause of your dissatisfaction with your current environment and what you are looking for in your new firm. In many instances we will advise you that before embarking on a search or move to a new firm, you should try to resolve any existing issues within your current work environment. We will then proceed to review your background, practice, clients and business development, using this as an opportunity to get to know you personally as well as professionally. We hope to establish what your key motivators are and the kind of environment to which you are most suited.

Action Plan

Following the initial consultation, we will agree on an action plan that uses both our combined knowledge of the market and the details you have provided about yourself. We will proceed to draw up a short list of firms to approach and decide on how best to initiate contact with them i.e. whether or not we contact a named individual/or what level of information or disclosure would be most ppropriate in view of your personal preferences.

CV and Business Plan

In advance of any meetings, it is important that you prepare a detailed CV and an outline of a business plan. Although the latter is typically handed over at a more advanced stage of discussions, (i.e. when the plan can be tailored to fit the particular firm with whom you are talking), preparing the business plan in advance will help you focus your thought process and identify the key factors pertaining to your specific application.

Interview Training

Right from the start, it is our job to help you put your best foot forward in your dealings and discussions with firms and also to ensure that you convey and receive the right level of information throughout the entire process. For many partners, their first meeting with us may be the first interview-type situation they have been in for many years and our aim, even at this preliminary stage, is to evaluate and provide feedback on interview technique.

Follow up/Feedback

It is our responsibility to act as the intermediary between you and the firm, ensuring that there are no miscommunications or misunderstandings between the parties involved and that every stage of your campaign runs as smoothly as possible.

Agreeing Terms

As you approach the final stages of the search, we will be an integral part of the selection process, helping you negotiate terms and reach an appropriate arrangement with the firm you eventually decide to join.