Overview:

Sometimes we are asked to find a solution where others have failed. These briefs typically bring mixed feelings. On the downside, there is frustration at not being brought in from the outset, and uncertainty about what we’ll uncover once we engage the market. On the flipside, they are a genuine opportunity to prove our expertise and earn a client’s lasting trust.

In this case, the office managing partner of a major international law firm in Europe approached us to help reshape their Tax offering. They needed to hire a Corporate Tax partner – ideally with a team – to re-establish the firm’s position as a market-leading tax adviser. The ideal candidate would: a) close a clear skills gap in the existing offering; b) bring a genuine blend of domestic and international tax expertise; c) offer specific language coverage; and d) prove themselves a proactive business developer, both externally and internally – the incumbent team was seen as missing opportunities to collaborate more closely with the firm’s international network.

Challenge:

The client was refreshingly candid about the scale of the challenge. They had been searching for a solution for nearly two years, engaging more than one headhunter along the way. They had met several candidates and even made one offer, but the process had proved fruitless and frustrating. The client was also open about internal politics complicating the hire – adding a further layer of difficulty to an already demanding brief.

Approach:

We treated the brief as a fresh, exclusive mandate. Setting aside any preconceptions, we mapped the market of prima facie eligible lawyers in full, then drilled into their profiles to identify those who most closely matched the hiring criteria. With this target list in hand, we built a compelling narrative to frame the opportunity – one that was candid about the history of the search but led with the platform’s genuine strengths. Our early conversations sharpened our read on how the market perceived the opportunity, and we used that live feedback to refine the tone and angle of every subsequent approach.

Outcome:

We introduced several eligible candidates, and after a few exploratory meetings, one emerged as the clear favourite. We helped to articulate precisely the conditions under which they would consider joining, managing expectations firmly on both sides. Drawing on our market intelligence, we helped the client achieve an exit that eased the department’s political tensions and cleared the path to securing the hire. Within four months, we placed our candidate as the firm’s new head of tax – together with their high-performing team of counsel and associates. The client was hugely relieved and grateful to have solved a genuinely strategic problem, and our candidate was delighted to complete a move that gives them an outstanding platform to elevate their standing in the market.

If you’re hiring for a private practice role, get in touch with Alec Harvey to discuss how Jameson Legal can help you find the right person for what your business actually needs.