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Legal Executive & General Counsel Search

Recruiting legal talent with high EQ, business acumen, and gravitas

Our advisors have 402 years of collective experience as sitting General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, and Chief Compliance Officers. These esteemed advisors and executive search consultants have a proven record of success that sets us apart from our global competition. As a boutique firm with a focus on placing General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers, Chief Compliance Officers, and their direct reports, we are proud of our 96% search completion rate, our commitment to diversity, and our high level of client satisfaction.

Our talent assessment process is fine-tuned for in-house searches and has the industry-leading stick rate

You can trust that our credentialed candidates possess emotional intelligence, motivation, passion for the position and organization, and will serve as a strategic advisor on your leadership team. Our stick rate is the highest in the industry, bringing your company exceptional value and long-term return on investment. Three years post-placement, 93% of our candidates remain at our client companies.

BarkerGilmore is the top legal recruiting firm for in-house counsel and compliance talent. We place General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officers, and their strategic hires.

We have a track record of success placing subject matter experts with backgrounds in Corporate, Compliance, Environmental, Finance, Healthcare, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Mergers and Acquisitions, Real Estate, and Regulatory.

General Counsel
  • Chief Legal Officer
  • General Counsel
  • Corporate Secretary
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Managing Counsel
  • Deputy General Counsel
  • Division General Counsel
  • Corporate Secretary
  • Chief Corporate Counsel
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Legal Counsel
  • Associate General Counsel
  • Assistant General Counsel
  • Senior Counsel
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Compliance
  • Chief Compliance Officer
  • Director, Compliance
  • Chief Risk Officer
  • Chief Privacy Officer
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Driving diversity

It’s a core value of BarkerGilmore and a commitment that’s helped us surpass all other search firms in achieving our client’s DEI goals. Our three-year placement averages are 32% minority and 57% women. Our Strategic Advisors and Coaches specialize in coaching diverse talent to help them achieve their professional goals and rise to the top.

More than Legal Headhunters

Full Assessment

A full assessment is completed for every in-house legal and compliance candidate, which evaluates:

  • Emotional intelligence, gravitas, and ethics
  • Technical aptitude and experience
  • Alignment with business priorities
  • Cultural fit and chemistry
  • Track record of performance in stressful situations
  • Leadership capabilities
  • Motivation and passion for the position

Industry Specializations

Our executive legal recruiters specialize in your industry and are skilled at identifying and recruiting top in-house talent with industry experience and expertise. Learn more about our industry specializations, including:

  • Financial
  • Consumer
  • Energy
  • Healthcare and Life Sciences
  • Industrial
  • Technology
  • Non-Profit
  • Private Equity
Talent Assessment

CustomFit – our process for producing better candidates.

Our specialized and highly effective CustomFit℠ recruiting process ensures that our searches consistently adhere to the highest standards and result in successful placements. This exclusive process finds in-house counsel capable of serving as strategic business partners and contributing to your company’s success for years to come. Every Search begins with a core competency and company culture assessment, geographic outreach based on clients’ preference, and a deeply personal commitment to our clients. A full assessment is completed for every candidate to ensure the best possible match.

Connect with BarkerGilmore’s Legal Recruiting Experts

  • Marla Persky

    Former SVP, GC & Corporate Secretary

    Boehringer Ingelheim USA

    Chicago, IL  |  Ridgefield, CT

  • Helen Pudlin

    Former EVP & GC

    PNC Financial Services Group

    Philadelphia, PA

  • Katie Gilmore

    Managing Director

    Rochester, NY

  • Ann Harlan

    Former VP, GC & Corporate Secretary

    The J.M. Smucker Company

    Cleveland, OH

  • Chloe Barker

    Senior Director

    New York, NY

  • Jamey Seely

    General Counsel

    Crusoe Energy Holdings, Inc.

    Denver, CO

Legal and Compliance Consulting

We go beyond recruitment. BarkerGilmore’s Advisors have decades of experience as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officers and have advised executives and boards at some of the most powerful and respected corporations in the country. Now you can put their experience to work for you in optimizing your legal and compliance departments.

“We felt like we were working with a partner who helped us ask hard questions and take our time during the interview process to get it right the first time, as opposed to an agency that was just focused on forcing a placement.”
DANNY FULMER
CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER, RHA HEALTH SERVICES
“BarkerGilmore provided everything I could have asked for in a search consultant: personable, knowledgeable, diligent, and someone who acted as an advocate and friend. Through his outstanding help, I was able to obtain an in-house position that fit my skills and interests perfectly. I highly recommend BarkerGilmore.”
KEVIN NAH
SENIOR DIVISION COUNSEL, CORNING INCORPORATED
"I value BarkerGilmore as a search partner because their specialization and depth of experience means they deliver great results. When you hire them you’re working with the guys whose names are on the door. They perform with precision and speed, and deliver quality results as promised. I wish I had someone as good as BarkerGilmore for all our strategic searches!"
KLAUS-DIETER DOERR
DIRECTOR, ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AMPHENOL
"It has been a great pleasure working with BarkerGilmore as we build out the legal department at Persefoni, a fast-growing software company. All aspects of the search process have been extremely professional and effective. The executive search professionals at BarkerGilmore excelled at understanding our needs and company culture, and finding exceptional candidates for our consideration for several roles.”
PETER C. BARTOLINO
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL COUNSEL & CORPORATE SECRETARY, PERSEFONI AI INC.
“What I liked the most is that BarkerGilmore shares our company’s data-driven, disciplined focus. That really came through throughout the whole process, and from every member of their team. They really know what they are doing.  BarkerGilmore’s team listened well, and we knew that our needs had been internalized based upon the debriefing of each of the candidates, which were spot on. I like how the team tried to broaden our view; they educated us as well throughout the process.”
SAM MUPPALLA
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES
“In choosing a search firm, our criteria were quality and diversity of candidates, responsiveness, communication, sense of urgency, and focus on the client. We also wanted a firm that would represent us well — not just the candidate. I did extensive interviews with five search firms – including the large global ones — and then spoke with client references before choosing BarkerGilmore. They’ve exceeded my expectations. And I would use them again in a minute.”
JENNIFER SHOFFNER
CHRO, TOPBUILD

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