Director of Lateral Partner Recruiting

With eleven offices across the United States, 450+ professionals and 350+ staff professionals, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP is a multidisciplinary, integrated national professional services firm known for quality and an extraordinary commitment to clients. The firm’s groundbreaking approach—bringing together legal services, advocacy and business strategy—differentiates Manatt from its competitors and positions the firm to provide a unique and compelling value proposition.

As a key member of the Firm's Talent Acquisition team, the Director of Lateral Partner Recruiting will lead and execute the Firm's strategic lateral partner acquisition efforts nationwide. This highly visible role is responsible for developing and managing a sophisticated partner recruiting function focused on identifying, attracting, evaluating, and bringing in high-performing lateral partners and practice groups whose practices align with the Firm's strategic growth objectives.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in the legal industry, a strong understanding of law firm economics and partner-level recruitment, and an established network within the legal community. Successful candidates will possess extensive experience recruiting law firm partners, including experience gained within an Am Law 100 firm and/or a leading legal search firm. This individual must be commercially minded, highly credible with senior leadership, and capable of serving as a trusted advisor to Firm management and practice leaders on market opportunities and competitive intelligence.

Strategic Lateral Partner Recruiting

• Develop and execute a comprehensive lateral partner recruitment strategy aligned with the Firm's growth priorities.
• Drive the full lifecycle recruitment process for lateral partners and practice groups, from market mapping and identification through onboarding and integration.
• Partner closely with Firm leadership, practice group leaders, and office managing partners to identify strategic growth opportunities.
• Proactively source, cultivate, and maintain relationships with high-performing partner candidates across targeted markets and practice areas.
• Build and maintain robust pipelines of prospective lateral partners and groups.

Market Intelligence & Competitive Analysis

• Monitor legal market trends, competitive activity, law firm movements, and emerging growth areas.
• Advise Firm leadership on opportunities for expansion into new markets, practices, and industry sectors.
• Conduct research and analysis regarding potential candidates' books of business, client bases, profitability, and cultural fit.
• Provide intelligence regarding competitor firms, compensation trends, and recruiting activity.

Relationship Management

• Establish trusted relationships with practice leaders, executive leadership, legal search consultants, and industry influencers.
• Serve as a brand ambassador for the Firm within the legal recruiting community.
• Represent the Firm at legal industry conferences, networking events, and recruiting functions.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with external search firms and recruiting partners.

Candidate Assessment & Due Diligence

• Lead candidate evaluation efforts, including business case analysis, conflicts assessment, and transition planning.
• Coordinate internal diligence efforts among Talent, Finance, Conflicts, Professional Responsibility, and Firm leadership.
• Prepare candidate presentations, business analyses, and recruiting recommendations for management committees and leadership teams.
• Guide candidates through the offer, negotiation, and acceptance process.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 10+ years of experience in legal recruiting, attorney recruiting, talent acquisition, or related leadership roles. Prior experience working within an Am Law 100 or other nationally recognized law firm preferred.
• Significant experience recruiting lateral partners and/or practice groups for law firms.
• Strong understanding of law firm partnership structures, compensation systems, profitability metrics, conflicts issues, and partner mobility trends.
• Demonstrated success partnering with executive-level stakeholders in highly consultative environments.
• Ability to manage highly confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
• Established network of relationships among law firm partners, practice leaders, legal recruiters, and industry contacts.
• Demonstrated established relationships with top legal recruiting agencies.
• Combination of in-house law firm recruiting experience and legal search/agency experience strongly preferred.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills.
• Ability to function in a fast-paced, service-oriented environment, prioritize multiple projects on a daily basis, adjust to shifting priorities, all with a “can-do” “roll up the sleeves” attitude.
• Ability to work independently (self-motivated with proven ability to anticipate problems and move things forward with limited direction and varying deadlines) and as part of a team with a proactive and positive style that fosters collaborative working relationships.
• Strong technical and computer skills: proficiency in MS Word, Outlook, and Excel required.  Experience with viDesktop, Leopard List, LinkedIn Recruiter and/or Lawcruit a plus.
• Travel will be required to other firm locations, as needed.

The base annual pay range for this role is between $225,000-$325,000. The base pay to be offered will vary and depend on skills and qualifications, experience, location and will also take into account internal equity.  A full range of medical, financial and/or other benefits dependent on the position will also be offered.

EEO/AA EMPLOYER/Veterans/Disabled

Manatt is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, color, physical or mental disability, religion, creed, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, sex or gender (including gender identity, gender expression, status as a transgender or transsexual individual, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), age (over 40), genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, sexual orientation, political activity or affiliation, genetic or and any other protected classes or characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Consistent with the American Disabilities Act, applicants may request accommodations needed to participate in the application process.