Legal Executive & General Counsel Search
A General Counsel’s effectiveness and reputation are only as strong as the legal team supporting them. The collective experience, professionalism, and business-minded approach of in-house legal professionals provide the foundation for an organization’s legal and compliance strength. There can be no weak link. Every hire must elevate the whole.
BarkerGilmore delivers exceptional in-house counsel with the expertise, judgment, and presence to drive strategic business results. From General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers to team leads and subject matter experts, every in-house executive search assignment is executed with the rigor, insight, and discretion required to build an in-house counsel capability that addresses your organization’s strategic, tactical, and cultural needs.
Every In-House Counsel Hire is as an Opportunity to Elevate the Law Department
Given the high financial and reputational stakes involved in all legal decisions, every member of your legal department plays a critical role in managing the risks and identifying the opportunities your organization must address.
BarkerGilmore’s decades of experience working with GCs, CLOs, CEOs, and CHROs to address a broad range of legal talent requirements has uniquely qualified our firm to serve as a trusted advisor, helping clients to build legal departments that can protect and grow their companies over the long term.
We recruit across the full spectrum of in-house legal roles, from executive leadership to specialized counsel, ensuring the right fit for every organizational need. Examples of the positions we recruit include:
- Chief Legal Officer
- General Counsel
- Deputy General Counsel
- Associate General Counsel
- Assistant General Counsel
- Vice President of Legal
- Division General Counsel
- Regional General Counsel
- Managing Counsel
- Lead Counsel
- Corporate Counsel
- Senior Counsel
Placing In-House Legal Talent with Subject Matter Expertise Across Core Practice Areas
Every in-house legal department has specific legal needs based on the type of business it supports, and the complexities of legal and regulatory issues that business must address. In many cases, that means building a team with knowledge and experience in specific legal disciplines.
BarkerGilmore delivers in-house counsel talent with the specialized legal credentials and business insight required to address complex challenges, drive results, and reduce reliance on outside counsel. The range of legal practice areas we cover includes, but is not limited to:
- Corporate Governance & Securities
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Commercial Contracts/Transactions
- Finance
- Litigation
- Regulatory
- Compliance
- Environmental
- Intellectual Property
- Labor & Employment
- Real Estate
- Investment Management
An Unmatched, Risk-Managed Approach to In-House Counsel Executive Recruiting
BarkerGilmore combines its access to the industry’s most qualified legal and compliance talent with an approach designed to proactively manage the risk and expense inherent in hiring those high-performing in-house professionals. Here’s how:
- Our 360° assessment of legal and compliance talent goes well beyond what’s on their resumes. We also evaluate essential personal attributes, including emotional intelligence, gravitas, ethics, cultural fit and chemistry, leadership capability, and passion for the position.
- High-potential in-house counsel can receive tailored coaching focused on leadership readiness, executive presence, cross-functional influence, and effective stakeholder engagement. Our team of coaches and trusted advisors includes highly respected former GCs and CCOs who have worked at blue chip companies.
- BarkerGilmore’s 91% placement stick rate and performance guarantee far surpasses industry standards. We ensure our performance with long-term guarantees to conduct a new in-house executive search to replace the candidate for no additional cost, apart from expenses.
Recruiting In-House Legal Professionals for a Broad Range of Industries
We limit our recruitment focus to the legal and compliance departments, but we apply that focused experience to a broad range of industries, serving public and private organizations across:
The BarkerGilmore Advantage
Why BarkerGilmore is Recognized as the In-House Counsel Search Firm Leader
BarkerGilmore stands apart from all other in tangible ways. Boards, CEOs, and CHROs select BarkerGilmore not only for the high quality in-house legal and compliance talent we deliver, but also for the long-term impact and value those professionals provide for their organizations.
CustomFitSM : Our Proven Executive Search Process
Our proprietary, data-driven, CustomFitSM executive search process identifies, evaluates, and places the right in-house legal or compliance leader in the right role at the right time— ensuring strategic alignment, cultural fit, and long-term organizational impact. Learn more about our search process.
Key Elements of our CustomFitSM Process
- Alignment with corporate goals and evolving business needs
- Deep evaluation of leadership potential and soft-skill maturity
- Assessment of candidate motivation and passion for the position
- Benchmarking against industry-leading legal talent
- Candidate engagement strategies that reflect the highest standards of discretion and professionalism
Work with an in-house counsel recruiter who understands the staffing needs of law departments.
Key Traits CEOs, CHROs, and Board Directors Seek in Top In-House Counsel Candidates
At BarkerGilmore, we are more than in-house counsel headhunters, or an in-house legal recruitment agency. We serve as strategic advisors who prioritize the essential qualities high-impact in-house legal and compliance professionals must bring to the role, including:
Strategic Legal & Business Acumen
Strategic Legal & Business Acumen
A proven ability to align compliance strategy with business objectives and advise senior leadership on complex matters.
Industry-Specific Experience
Industry-Specific Experience
Direct experience in our client’s industry, with a deep understanding of the legal, regulatory, and business landscape.
Executive Presence & Judgment
Executive Presence & Judgment
High emotional intelligence (EQ), commercial instincts, and the gravitas required to lead from day one.
Team Leadership & Development
Team Leadership & Development
A hands-on leader who works well with others, and who thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.
Trusted by Boards, CEOs, and CHROs
Placing successful in-house counsel talent requires more than transactional recruiting. It demands insight, industry expertise, and trusted relationships.
BarkerGilmore is the preferred in-house counsel recruiting firm for organizations seeking legal and compliance professionals with technical expertise and are grounded in trust, credibility, and long-term performance. Our firm possesses:
- In-house legal and compliance specialization
- Decades of leadership within the legal and compliance community
- Elevated assessment standards
- Personalized, high-touch engagement
Ready to find your next in-house counsel?
Connect with BarkerGilmore’s In-House Counsel Recruiting Experts
Former Founding General Counsel and Executive Committee Member
Haleon plc
London, England | Munich, Germany
Former SVP, GC, CCO, CLO & Corporate Secretary
Ashland Global Holdings, Inc.
Cincinnati, OH | Asheville, NC
Senior Project Manager, Legal & Compliance, Information Systems Lead
Rochester, NY
Former EVP, GC, Chief Ethics Officer & Corporate Secretary
The Chubb Corporation
New York, NY
Former SVP, GC & Corporate Secretary
Boehringer Ingelheim USA
Chicago, IL | Ridgefield, CT
Trusted by the nation’s most respected organizations
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We Go Beyond In-House Legal and Compliance Recruitment
BarkerGilmore’s role as a trusted and in-house counsel recruiter does not end with executive placement. Our team of Coaches and Advisors -- possessing decades of experience as GCs, CLOs, and CCOs at many of the nation’s most respected companies -- provides tailored guidance to help new and existing legal leaders succeed, delivering competitive advantage for their organizations.
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