"ESQ Recruiting provided our company exceptional service in connection with our general counsel search.  They understood our needs and delivered excellent candidates in a timely and professional manner.  We selected a first-class counsel through their firm, and we thank them for their efforts in making this possible.”

While most legal recruiting firms engage in several type of recruiting such as law firm and legal staff placements, ESQ Recruiting strictly focuses on in-house attorney search placement. We are experts in this field, and as a result we have developed a deep and broad understanding of the in-house legal market and the attorneys who thrive in it.

We pride ourselves on our rigorous and comprehensive search process, which has integral benchmarks that have been proven over time to identify the best attorney candidates quickly and effectively. Our methodology includes:

Our proven methodology has allowed us to deliver exceptional attorneys that succeed in the companies they join – attorneys that can make long-term commitments and add value to their organization.

Companies are interested in hiring attorneys for different reasons, and the needs of every company are also different. The experience and sophistication of the work required of a given attorney are also different. With our knowledge of the in-house market and ability to screen attorneys, we can set the bar as high as you wish in assisting you identify attorneys for your company.

ESQ Recruiting has decades of experience screening candidates.  Our recruiters have the ability to recruit the type of attorney that is likely to thrive in your company. Understanding your corporate culture and your particular needs helps us make this identification.  Accordingly, we spend a great deal of time at the onset of the search conducting extensive due diligence, including personally meeting with key representatives on site, in a concerted effort to fully understand your company and determine the parameters and requirements of the candidate that will be a “perfect” fit for your organization.

Identifying the correct demographics for your position is a challenging task, and something we can do once we are familiar with your company and the type of attorneys you are seeking.   When you enlist ESQ Recruiting, you are dealing with an experienced legal recruiting firm that possesses the type of market knowledge and resources that allow us to quickly ascertain who and where the attorneys for your position are. Through our extensive network, we have access to unpublished directories of attorney working in-house throughout the country.

Once we have identified the core demographic for your position, we then seek to ensure that this demographic is notified of your opening.  We will promote your position anonymously or list your company name across a wide variety of media and networks. In most cases, we will institute campaigns based on calling, emailing, and meeting with the correct attorney demographic; reviewing the files of current and unplaced past candidates; scanning all pertinent resume-posting sites not controlled by us; and scouring the Internet and print media advertising. It is our belief that a combination of all approaches is the best method to effectively reach our identified attorney demographics.

Few companies realize that when they hire a recruiting firm, they are hiring a public relations firm to carry out an aggressive campaign to make attorneys want to work for them. Whether we are advertising your organization in a national magazine, on an Internet job board, or simply speaking with attorneys around the country about your organization, we are carrying a public relations campaign on your behalf.

The attorneys we speak with during the course of your search and the attorneys who ultimately become your employees will be greatly influenced by their contact with us and tell others about their interaction with our company. Your legal recruiting firm is your public relations agent in the legal community, and as such we take great care in the manner in which we present ourselves as well as your company.

ESQ Recruiting is known for its ability to submit qualified candidates almost immediately, saving our clients both time and money.  What makes the difference?  We believe that good preparation is crucial to making successful placements, together with a focus on quality over quantity. 

• We thoroughly profile your company and the position before we begin the search
• We research your industry, competitors, and law firms to target our cold and warm calling efforts
• We compile lists of potential candidates based on your hiring requirements and geographical preferences
• We source candidates from our network, referrals, our internal database, and our media and cold calling campaign
• We screen and interview all target candidates
• We pre-select candidates to be submitted for your review

Nobody knows the in-house legal marketplace better than ESQ Recruiting.    Our legal recruiters are not only successful in servicing law departments' staffing needs, but they are also considered authorities in the legal marketplace. They are active members of their legal communities, quoted in the local and national press, and published in prominent legal publications across the country. 

We have also developed a global network, outside of our listed office locations, that enables our legal recruiters to conduct attorney searches across the United States and around the world.   As a result, our legal recruiters have the capacity to identify exceptional attorneys on behalf of corporate legal departments more effectively than any other recruiting firm.  Because of our capabilities, we can fill in-house positions that other legal recruiting firms do not attempt or fail to successfully service.

There are many components involved in the identification of in-house counsels. These components are most often invisible to non-attorneys and others who are not experienced in hiring attorneys on a day-to-day basis.   At ESQ Recruiting, our interest is in assisting you screen the “right" candidate or your opening. Hiring mistakes can be extremely costly; as a member of your recruiting team, ESQ Recruiting can help ensure that your company only hires the very best attorneys.

Often, companies apply their own measuring stick in deciding who should be hired for their in-house attorney positions. While this is not always a bad thing in the corporate world, corporate officers and executives are not universally qualified to judge attorneys' qualifications and suitability for a position.  In our experience, attorneys are best positioned to determine the technical skills and effectiveness of another attorney, which should be one of the most important factors to consider when hiring an attorney.

All of our legal recruiters are former practicing attorneys.  Our screening process involves much more than simply reviewing resumes and sending out rejection letters. Instead, our screening entails understanding the true nature of the attorney who will be going to work for you.  In some cases, an attorney who is doing well in one organization may not be the same attorney who would excel with your organization.  These elements are often most visible to attorneys experienced in screening other attorneys on a day-to-day basis. Our screening process is designed to ensure that you find an attorney that matches exactly what you are seeking for the position.

Simply because an offer has been extended does not always mean that the attorney will accept it.  One of our duties as legal recruiters is to ensure that once an offer has been extended it is also accepted.  Many companies believe that a higher salary, stock options, and benefits are the most important components in ensuring that a given offer is accepted. While these are certainly very important, the best attorneys will look upon their transition with a number of other elements in mind.

When you are hiring an in-house attorney, you need legal recruiters who are familiar with negotiating attorney offers, and who fully understand attorneys’ specific and often unvoiced concerns.  Once you hire an attorney, this attorney will have a certain set of expectations for his/her new position.  We will assist you in identifying their expectations in terms of what he/she needs to excel in their new position.

The methodology we follow at ESQ Recruiting is geared towards ensuring that your interests are represented as well as possible at every level.   We believe we bring a great deal of depth to the process, and as in-house attorney search and placement specialists we have the ability to fill some of the most difficult positions quickly and efficiently.

A company can rise or fall based on the quality of the people inside of it.  It is no different with your legal department.  Whether you are a small entrepreneurial company or a Fortune 500 company, your needs are important to us, and we are dedicated to fill these positions with exceptional attorneys who will make the type of meaningful contribution you deserve.