Marsden’s Post

Before we undertake searches at Marsden, our private practice team spends a lot of time researching and analysing the talent pools in all of the major global legal centres. When we look top tier transactional lawyers who commenced their legal careers in 2019 or earlier, there are very few with just one firm on their CV. What does that tell us? 1. The people who haven't yet changed firm at this level have something pretty good going on with their current firm. They are not likely to move unless they have a reason to – such as progression being blocked, or a similar ‘push factor’. 2. Firms targeting first-time movers need to approach them in a targeted,  bespoke way, and with a very appealing and well thought through proposition. 3. Law firms and hiring partners need to be much more open to recruiting lawyers who have moved firms before. As global markets heat up and the demand for top-tier transactional lawyers increases, talent pools will shrink. Excluding lawyers from interview shortlists on the basis that they have moved firms could prove counter-productive. 4. Nowadays it is more usual that younger lawyers don't subscribe to the ‘𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙢 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚’ mantra. In line with other industries, legal careers will be more fluid in the future. If you would like to talk to us about a search for your team, please contact me at sally.gardner or contact one of my colleagues: 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻: Sally Gardner or Alex Russell   𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻 Sally Gardner 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮: Jonathan Walmsley 𝗨𝗦𝗔: David Nicol 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲: Steve Salem 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁: Sonia Patel #lawfirms #hiring #legalcareers #legalrecruitment #marsden

We continue to see steady demand for 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻. With the sweet spot being 𝟯–𝟰 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗤𝗘, there are numerous opportunities available at top Magic Circle, Silver Circle, elite US, and international firms in both cities. Mid-level lawyers often find the most lateral opportunities available to them for several reasons: • Mid-levels will have gained sufficient legal knowledge, client exposure, and practical skills to work with minimal supervision, making them highly attractive to firms seeking immediate contributors. • Junior lawyers (0–2 years PQE) typically require more training, as they are still in the earlier stages of their careers. • Senior lawyers (6+ years PQE) often come with higher salaries, which can make them a more costly and riskier investment. • Many firms have a partnership track, and aim to recruit talent with enough time to progress through it. Joining too late may limit those opportunities. If you are currently in your mid-level and wish to have a confidential discussion around what opportunities are out there for you, then feel free to reach out: luke.marsden@marsdengroup.com #Marsden #Antitrust #Midlevel #LegalRecruitment #Europe #Brussels #London  

We continue to see steady demand for 𝗺𝗶𝗱-𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻. With the sweet spot being 𝟯–𝟰 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗤𝗘, there are numerous opportunities available at top Magic Circle, Silver Circle, elite US, and international firms in both cities. Mid-level lawyers often find the most lateral opportunities available to them for several reasons: • Mid-levels will have gained sufficient legal knowledge, client exposure, and practical skills to work with minimal supervision, making them highly attractive to firms seeking immediate contributors. • Junior lawyers (0–2 years PQE) typically require more training, as they are still in the earlier stages of their careers. • Senior lawyers (6+ years PQE) often come with higher salaries, which can make them a more costly and riskier investment. • Many firms have a partnership track, and aim to recruit talent with enough time to progress through it. Joining too late may limit those opportunities. If you are currently in your mid-level and wish to have a confidential discussion around what opportunities are out there for you, then feel free to reach out: sally.gardner@marsdengroup.com or contact one of my colleagues Luke Marsden or Steve Salem #Marsden #Antitrust #competition #Midlevel #LegalRecruitment #Europe #Brussels #London

𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁? 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 In this tight job market, attracting top-notch in-house counsel can be challenging. With over 19 years of experience in placing GCs and their teams, I've learned that an organization's brand and culture can make all the difference. To stand out, here are some key strategies for showcasing your brand and culture: ➡️ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: Show your commitment by engaging directly with the community. Sponsor events, participate in outreach programs, and support employee resource groups. These actions show you're walking the talk when it comes to values. ➡️ 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀: Open doors for your in-house team to grow beyond the office. Offer chances to enhance their legal skills while making a community impact through pro bono work or volunteer initiatives. ➡️ 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: Don't underestimate the power of a personal touch. Have executive team members sign or extend offers with individualized messages—it signals a genuine commitment to building strong relationships. ➡️ 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀: Close the generation gap by investing in growth. Mentorship programs, cross-functional training, and networking events help younger lawyers see a future with your company. Spotlighting these aspects can make your organization pop for top legal talent who share your values. --- 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮? 𝘐’𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘱-𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘊𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯-𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭. #LegalRecruitment #InHouseCounsel #GeneralCounsel #TalentStrategy #CompanyCulture

We have an audacious goal for 2025 at my recruiting agency Freshwater Counsel. In our first calendar year, we made 19 placements. The goal for our second calendar year is to make 30 placements. Here's how we're going to do it: 1. Virtuous cycle. We work with elite legal talent. Firms particularly value our clients, so they share unposted roles and insider intel with us. That attracts the best talent. The cycle continues. 2. Land and expand. We have core expertise in litigation and in particular patent litigation. And we've also placed nationally in high-demand practice areas like antitrust, energy, and specialty finance, focusing on key law firm partnerships. 3. Outstanding work creates referrals. ~20% of our placements come from referrals. That will go up as we grow. The rest is secret sauce about our recruiting techniques - I’m not giving it away. Associates and counsel, if you are looking to learn more about our approach as you consider a lateral move, DM me. And for everyone else, check in with us at the end of the year to see how we did.

𝐀 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 🔊   One of the placements I worked on recently turned out to be particularly rewarding—not just because it was a role filled, but because it highlighted how impactful the right fit can be for both a business and a candidate. The placement was for a rapidly scaling healthcare tech startup in Sydney. They’re doing incredible work, revolutionising patient care with tech-driven solutions that streamline diagnosis and treatment pathways. This was an important hire for them—their first in-house Legal Counsel to support the General Counsel who joined last year. With rapid growth over the past 18 months, they needed someone who could manage immediate legal demands while helping build scalable processes for global expansion. I’d identified a mid-level lawyer from a national law firm who I’d been speaking with over the last six months. Their background was well suited to the role. They had significant experience advising healthcare and life sciences clients, with a focus on regulatory compliance and tech-driven transactions. That said, moving in-house for the first time is a big decision, and they had understandable reservations about making the leap. Over several discussions, we worked through how this role aligned with their personal and professional goals, including: ·     The desire to have a tangible, lasting impact on healthcare outcomes. ·     The chance to collaborate closely with an ambitious executive team. ·     An opportunity to grow within an innovative business with a meaningful mission. In the end, it was a perfect match. The candidate brought the expertise and mindset the business needed, and the business offered the candidate the career growth and purpose they were looking for. It’s placements like these that are particularly rewarding. Tailoring available opportunities with a unique set of career goals and ambitions. Congrats to this lawyer for securing an amazing role!

We’ve all seen them. The posts that go something like this: ‘I rejected a candidate 346 times. They applied again. I admired the persistence. They had no relevant qualifications and a list of utterly unreasonable demands. But I gave them a shot. And guess what? Now they’re CEO!’ The problem is that they’re all utter b*llocks. A particularly irritating brand of virtue-signalling fiction. In the real world, people with no relevant experience don’t get a look in so spending time applying for roles you’re in no way qualified to do is probably not the best use of your time. Hitting ‘Quick Apply’ on absolutely every legal role in Australia is also a tactic I’d advise against. There may well be people with the experience to be a General Counsel, M&A senior associate, patent attorney, senior privacy lawyer, employment counsel, and construction litigation specialist, but I haven’t met any and look suspiciously at anyone submitting their resume for a wide range of very different roles. The path from where you are to where you want to be in your career might be longer than you’d like, but you’re better off taking the time to work out the steps you need to take at an early stage rather than spending years firing off applications for jobs you’ve got no realistic chance of getting and becoming disheartened. That’s not to say you shouldn’t throw your hat in the ring for roles where you don’t meet all the criteria on the position description. A lot of the most successful placements I’ve made have been lawyers that don’t look much like what the client initially requested. #lawyers #legalrecruitment #careers

Everyone is different and has individual goals. We talk about tier 1 firms, and elite firms, and New York salaries a lot but this isn’t for everyone and joining one of these teams doesn’t universally bring joy and happiness. We work with a range of people and a range of firms, some of which are very far from an elite firm recognised in a global directory. These firms offer something very different in culture, hours, expectations and environment. Every firm is different. Every law firm job is different. Every candidate we work with is different, and we tailor our service and advice to you based on what we hear you want. Yes we advise on markets and opportunities, but you are in control of your own professional journey. We are here to ride with you. Feel free to reach out to me at sally.gardner@marsdengroup.com or another member of our global team to see how we can assist you with your career choices. 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻/𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻: Alex Russell, Tim Andrews or Michelle Mills , 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮: Jonathan Walmsley, Ben Smith, Lucy Cullinan, Daniel Hogan 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲: Luke Marsden, Steve Salem 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁: Sonia Patel 𝗨𝗦𝗔: David Nicol, Matt Moody, Bridget White, Sophia Arkley 𝗜𝗻-𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲: Kate Bramwell, Sarita Rai, Megan Williams #careerprogression #legalrecruitment #Marsden  

In today's competitive legal market, brand and reputation are more important than ever in attracting top talent. A strong brand showcases your firm's values, culture, and commitment to excellence. It's not just about being known; it's about being known for the right reasons and standing out from the crowd. A stellar reputation acts as a magnet for the best talent, drawing individuals who are not only skilled but also align with your firm's ethos and core values. Top legal professionals seek workplaces where they can thrive, contribute meaningfully, and be part of a respected and forward-thinking team. By building and maintaining a reputable brand, you signal to potential candidates that your firm is a place where they can grow, succeed, and make an impact. What are you doing to stand out? Invest in your brand and protect your reputation. They are your greatest assets in the race to secure the best and brightest in the legal industry. Highlight your firm's unique strengths, celebrate your successes, and consistently demonstrate your commitment to innovation and client service. These efforts not only attract top talent but also reinforce your position as a leader in the legal field. #legalcareers #lawjobs #legaljobs #brand #recruitment

As we step into 2025, it's the perfect time to reflect on personal and professional goals. For many professionals, the start of the year is not only about resolutions but also about evaluating career growth, job satisfaction, and ensuring you're earning what you truly deserve. The good news: Most firms are looking to expand their teams around this time of year. Whether you’re a seasoned attorney, paralegal, or just starting your journey in the legal field, this is a great moment to explore opportunities that align with your career aspirations. A few things to consider as you start the year: - Are you being compensated fairly for your skills and experience? - Do you feel fulfilled in your current role? - Is there room for growth and development where you are? As a recruiter, my goal is to help talented professionals to find positions that not only match their expertise but also support their career ambitions. Whether you're actively looking or just curious about what opportunities are out there, let’s connect and chat! #LegalCareers #NewYearNewGoals #CareerGrowth #RealRecruiter