Partner-Level Legal Search

Partner-level legal search for law firms, practice groups, and attorneys considering a confidential move.

Shapiro Legal Search focuses on lateral partner recruiting, practice group growth, and law firm combinations, with senior attorney placements and confidential representation nationwide.

The Search, In Brief

PartnerLateral partners and practice groups with portable business, reached through relationships, not job boards
NationalSearches across Am Law, midsize, boutique, and regional firms in every major U.S. market
DiscreetConfidential by default, with no outreach to the market without strategy and permission

Confidential by default. We do not circulate attorney information or approach the market without a clear strategy and your permission.

NALSC® Member
By the Numbers

A track record built one search at a time.

Partner-led legal search, measured by the outcomes that matter to firms and attorneys.

20+
Years in business
1000+
Successful searches
94%
Placement success rate
97%
Client & candidate retention
Two Ways We Work

Whether you are building a practice or moving one, we know the market.

The best lawyers are not applying online. We reach them through relationships built over years of focused work in the legal market.

For Law Firms

Recruit revenue-generating talent

We help firms add lateral partners, practice groups, associates, and in-house leaders who fit the culture and move the numbers.

  • Lateral partner & practice-group search
  • Associate and counsel recruiting
  • Confidential, market-mapped outreach
  • Law firm mergers & group acquisitions
How we work with firms
For Attorneys

Move your practice with discretion

We advise partners and senior associates on lateral moves, weighing economics, platform, and portable business, always confidentially.

  • Confidential lateral partner moves
  • Practice-group transitions
  • In-house and general counsel roles
  • Honest counsel on fit and economics
How we work with attorneys
Disciplines

Focused legal search across the practice.

Partner Search

Lateral partners and practice groups with portable business and a strategic fit for your platform.

Learn more

Practice Group Growth

Build or strengthen a practice area by adding a team rather than a single hire.

Learn more

Law Firm M&A

Mergers, group acquisitions, and office expansions, advised end to end with discretion.

Learn more

In-House Counsel

General counsel, deputy GC, and specialist counsel placements for companies building legal teams.

Learn more

Associate Search

Mid-level and senior associates for firms that need proven, well-trained talent quickly and quietly.

Learn more

Representative Placements

A sample of partner, counsel, and group searches completed for firms nationwide.

View placements
Our Process

A disciplined, partner-led search.

Every engagement is run by a principal of the firm. No hand-offs to junior recruiters.

Define the mandate

We learn the economics, culture, and strategic goal behind the search before we approach anyone.

Map the market

We build a confidential map of the talent that fits, including those not in the market.

Approach discreetly

We open conversations carefully, protecting both the firm and the candidate at every step.

Assess & verify

We test fit, portable business, and motivation against the real requirements of the role.

Advise on the deal

We help structure the move, from compensation to conflicts to the transition plan.

Close & transition

We stay engaged through resignation, onboarding, and the first months on the platform.

They understood our strategy before they sent a single name. Every candidate was someone we would have wanted to meet, and the process never once put the firm at risk.
— Managing Partner, National Law Firm

Names and identifying details are withheld out of respect for our clients and candidates.

Representative Work

A sense of the searches we run.

Names and identifying details are withheld out of respect for our clients and candidates.

Lateral Partner

Litigation partner with a portable book recruited to an Am Law 100 firm.

Practice Group

Four-partner private equity group moved together to a national platform.

General Counsel

GC search completed for a private company building out its legal team.

Leadership

You work directly with a partner of the firm.

Every search is led by a principal, not handed to a junior recruiter.

David Shapiro

David Shapiro

Founder & Senior Partner
James McMahon

James McMahon

Partner
Brian Haugh

Brian Haugh

Partner
The Sanford Rose Associates Network

A boutique practice, backed by a national search network.

Shapiro Legal Search is a member of Sanford Rose Associates®, one of the largest collaborative executive search networks in North America and Europe. You get partner-led attention on your search and the reach of the entire network behind it.

180+
Offices across North America & Europe
60+
Years of executive search heritage
Forbes
Network named to America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms
Top 10
Among the largest U.S. search firms (Executive Search Review)

Sanford Rose Associates® is a network of independently owned and operated offices. Awards and rankings reflect the network as a whole.

Let’s talk about your next search.

Whether you lead a firm building a practice or you are an attorney weighing a confidential move, the first conversation is private and carries no obligation.