Deacon

At a Crafty Counsel event I attended earlier in the week, which was led by a former in-house and magic circle lawyer, invaluable insights and perspectives were shared as to what General Counsels want from their external advisers. Here is the summary of advice (part 1) that over 2000 in-house lawyers have disclosed to Crafty Counsel on how they best like to work with private practice lawyers. I thought this was invaluable information to share with all of my private practice network regardless of whether you are a junior/senior associate ramping up and developing your bd skills or an existing partner. If you would like to have a discreet conversation about the market, learn about specific opportunities or simply wish to build a long-term relationship with a trusted recruiter (even if you are not seeking a move in the short term), then feel free to reach out to me or my Deacon colleagues. E: gideon@deaconassociates.com Whatsapp: 07708 808 219

Every engagement you have in a recruitment process is part of the interview - where feedback will be collated and shared. Even if it is an informal coffee with a junior member of the team – you may not be bombarded with technical questions, but it is still an assessment. Remember, an outstanding offer can easily be rescinded, so a meet-the-team event is still an interview. It’s important not to let your guard down at any stage of the process, and irrespective if it is an initial exploratory chat or a formal interview for your dream role. Make sure you leave the interviewer with the best impression of you. Discover more career guidance on our website https://lnkd.in/erYHDiKU or speak to one of our team: Gideon Krotosky, Hugo Tang, Harry Austin and Angus Brocklesby. #interviews #careerhub #careerguidance #legalrecruitment #deacon

Is 2025 the year you finally step out from the shadow of a more senior partner? You may currently feel safe and in a protected position, but you might never really have the opportunity to shine until you find your own space. At Deacon our experienced and friendly partner consultants can help you make a transformative move. Please contact Paul Deacon, Dan Wilkins, Scott Lesner, Gita Odedra, Chris Payne, Elliot Jackson, Gemma Posner, Agi Pines and Jonathan Bower. #lateralmoves #partners #lawfirms #legalrecruitment #deacon

When did you last review your LinkedIn bio? Here’s three reasons to do it regularly. It should: 1. Reflect how you want your current clients—and colleagues— to perceive you. The latter is important for internal perceptions – and winning work. 2. Position you to win work from the type of future clients you want to attract. 3. Highlight how you want to be found for your next role - even when you are not actively looking for new opportunities. Remember to look through the lenses of clients, colleagues and your dream employer. For more career tips and guidance, please visit https://lnkd.in/erYHDiKU or speak to one of our Deacon Associate Team: Gideon Krotosky, Hugo Tang, Harry Austin and Angus Brocklesby.

Our partner recruiters have been having a number of conversations with partners recently who are questioning their role within their current firm. If you’re a partner with a potentially portable practice, this is your currency in the market. Perhaps it’s time to move to another firm and try partnership in a different environment – maybe one with less pressure and politics, where decisions are made locally not globally, where partners are more collegiate, or one where you have a real seat at the table? Not all firms and not all partnerships are the same. If you are uncertain about what is next for you and you want to talk to one of our team about options, please contact one of our experienced partner recruiters Paul Deacon, Dan Wilkins, Scott Lesner, Chris Payne, Gita Odedra, Elliot Jackson, Gemma Posner, Agi Pines and Jonathan Bower. #partners #lateralhires #newhorizons #legalrecruitment #deacon

For some of the lawyers we speak to, 2025 has got off to a flying start. For others, the to-list is getting tackled much more slowly. While most of us like to ease our way back into work after a break, unproductive days can feel like such a waste. We all have times when we lack motivation, but if this is a pattern and habits start to form, it's bad news. If it is not a temporary blip and the root cause might be something deeper, you need to assess the situation. Do you need more challenge, more responsibility, a new client, a new mentor, an inspiring team, more work? Once you understand why you are lacking motivation and are not being productive, you can work out if the changes you need are ones which you can make yourself, or can work through with your partner or manager. If all other things in your work environment are fine, exploring internal change is your first step. If the issue can't be changed internally, then look at an external change: firm, city, country, work type, environment. 2025 will be a year of personal disappointment if you don't make it productive in a meaningful way for you. Let's start it right! To talk through your career options, contact: 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺: Paul Deacon, Dan Wilkins, Scott Lesner, Gita Odedra, Chris Payne, Elliot Jackson, Agi Pines, Gemma Posner, Jonathan Bower. 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲: Gideon Krotosky, Hugo Tang, Harry Austin and Angus Brocklesby. 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 Peter Vrljic  

One key piece of diligence you should carry out when speaking to firms is to probe on the integration plan for your clients. • Does the firm have a track record of ensuring that new clients are successfully ported across and integrated?    • What tangible steps are they going to take to ensure they are successfully integrated?    • Can matters be staffed sufficiently on the firm's current platform or will you need to hire further associates/bring a team? The first deals you work on with your existing clients at your new firm will be key to ensuring those clients remain loyal to you going forwards. For other things you need to consider, see our article at: https://lnkd.in/eb56aJS8 and speak to one of our partner team at Deacon: Paul Deacon, Dan Wilkins, Scott Lesner, Gita Odedra, Chris Payne, Elliot Jackson, Agi Pines, Gemma Posner and Jonathan Bower. #lateralmoves #partners #lawfirms #legalrecruitment #deacon

A lot of candidates we hear from believe that they are in control of when they move, and where they move to. The first part of this is usually true. But don’t assume that certain firms and teams are always going to be hiring – especially when it comes to smaller teams or markets. If you have your eye on a particular team or firm as an aspirational move, it is advisable to keep tabs on when that team is recruiting and be open minded to an approach - even if their timing is not perfectly matched to yours. If you miss this window the next time the opportunity comes your way you may be too senior. We can be your eyes and ears on opportunities in particular firms, teams or markets if you want us to be. We know what's going on as we are talking to firms, recruitment teams and hiring partners every day. Contact one of our Deacon Associate Team in your location to find out more: 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻: Gideon Krotosky, Hugo Tang, Harry Austin and Angus Brocklesby 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮: Peter Vrljic

We’re encouraged to see that female partner moves were up (slightly) in 2024, according to the moves we tracked in our annual Deacon Market Report. Of the 566 total moves we tracked, 184 were female (32.5%). This is a slight improvement from 2023’s total of 30%.                                                                                         Law firms know that they need to do better at closing the partnership gender gap, with many setting annual targets - and as a result, as experienced partner recruiters we are often asked to highlight female partner candidates for lateral moves. This isn’t always easy since despite the fact that, according to the SRA, while 62% of lawyers in England and Wales are female, there is also a very high attrition rate at the associate level and there are simply fewer female candidates for lateral moves at the partner level. At Deacon our network of relationships with the senior leadership of law firms in London means that we have extensive knowledge of the challenges firms face in the gender diversity of their partnerships and the firms that are genuinely committed to changing the status quo. Whether you are looking to hire for your team or are a partner considering a lateral move, please do get in touch with Gita Odedra for a confidential discussion.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿/ 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 “𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁” ? I spoke to someone recently who made a move on the assumption that they would be getting a certain type of work that would propel their career and align with what they were wanting to do. Needless to say, it hasn’t worked out as promised and the workflow is not there. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? This is a tricky question with no straightforward answer and is very dependent on the context and amongst other factors, will depend on how stable your CV was beforehand and the current market. One thing is for sure; the longer you do something that doesn’t directly align with what you are looking to do, the harder it will be to pivot as it will be challenging convincing hiring partners: (a) you are capable of fulfilling the role, (b) are able to hit the ground running, (c) you are truly committed to the specific practice area At Deacon, we take a consultative, advisory and long-term approach with the individuals we engage with. Reach out to me in confidence if you would like to discuss the general market in more detail.