Principal Legal Recruiter

K&L Gates; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 111,000 - 216,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off (25-30 days)

Remote Work Opportunities

Professional Development

Flexible Spending Accounts

Job summary

K&L Gates in Los Angeles is seeking a Principal, Legal Recruiter Finance to manage all lateral associate recruitment for the Finance practice area. This role demands excellent communication, organizational, and negotiation skills along with a minimum of 7 years of recruiting experience, preferably within a law firm. Key responsibilities include developing strategic recruitment plans, collaborating with practice leaders, and managing relationships with search firms. A competitive salary of $111,000 - $216,000 is offered, alongside a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and 401(k) options.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of recruiting experience, preferably in a law firm or law school.
• 3 years of experience recruiting lawyers in the Finance space preferred.
• Must possess in-depth knowledge of legal talent acquisition strategies.

Responsibilities

• Manage all aspects of lateral associate recruitment.
• Collaborate with law student recruitment for the Finance practice area.
• Build relationships with targeted legal search firms.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Negotiation skills

Influencing skills

Organizational skills

Administrative skills

Problem-solving skills

Education

Bachelor's in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field

JD or legal background

Tools

MS Office

Applicant tracking systems

Job description

At K&L Gates, we are looking for smart, imaginative and hard‑working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us. Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.

We are seeking a Principal, Legal Recruiter Finance to join the firm. This position will be responsible for managing all aspects of lateral associate recruitment and collaborating with the law student recruitment team for the Finance practice area across all U.S. offices. They help set strategic direction for legal talent acquisition and delivering top talent. Primary responsibilities include proactive management of lateral associate recruiting efforts, coordination of lawyer onboarding and orientation, and providing subject‑matter expertise for hiring strategy within the Finance practice area. Additional responsibilities include building strong relationships with targeted legal search firms and positioning and effectively articulating the Firm’s brand and value proposition to lateral candidates.

Key Relationships

• Practice Area Leaders, Practice Group Coordinators, Office Managing Partner, Practice Operations Directors

Essential Duties

• Collaborating with Practice Area Leaders (PAL), Practice Group Coordinators (PGC), Office Managing Partners (OMP), Finance Practice Operations Director and others to develop and implement strategic legal recruiting plans to attract top-tier legal talent.
• Building and maintaining solid relationships with internal stakeholders to understand and strategically identify legal talent needs within the Finance practice area.
• Managing advertising of open positions, including drafting and distribution of job description on the Firm’s website and other applicable external job boards, and providing regular updates partnering closely with target search firms.
• Reviewing resumes received from candidates and search firms and, in collaboration with PALs and PGCs, selecting candidates to move forward in the interview process; managing related follow‑up tracking and correspondence with candidates or search firms, providing a differentiated experience to candidates and leaders alike.
• Overseeing applicant data tracking process and leveraging hiring analytics to create Finance recruitment best practices.
• Leveraging internal and external networks to identify and engage top-tier candidates.

Recruiting Strategy

• Contributing on the recruiting strategy, including pipeline‑building initiatives and identification of appropriate target school/interview programs.
• Analyzing industry trends, market opportunities and following leads.
• Regularly attending industry events as networking opportunities to expand professional connections and promote the Firm as a leader in the Finance practice area.
• Managing the lateral associate offer process, orientation, onboarding and integration of all lateral associate new hires for Finance practice area.
• Collaborating with the Professional Development department and practice leaders to identify practice‑specific training opportunities for Finance associates.
• Collaborating with the Student Recruiting Team, PALs, PGCs, local office leadership, identifying desired Finance summer associate class size and determining recruiting strategy, including pipeline‑building initiatives, identification of appropriate target school/interview programs, and summer program work assignments.

Additional Duties

• Collaborating with members of Legal Recruiting team on firm‑wide initiatives and projects as needed.
• Developing relationships with lawyers within the Finance practice area.

Experience & Skills Required

• Possess a Bachelor's in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field. A JD or legal background is advantageous.
• A minimum of 7 years of recruiting experience (required) preferably in a law firm or law school environment and a minimum of 3 years recruiting lawyers in the Finance space preferred.
• Must possess in‑depth knowledge of legal talent acquisition strategies and best practices.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and influencing skills.
• Requires good judgement, a professional and friendly demeanor, confidentiality, and strong professional and ethical standards.
• Highly motivated, creative, outside‑the‑box thinker, flexible, and results‑oriented, and able to work independently under pressure with demanding deadlines.
• A strong growth mindset; demonstrated commitment to learning and improving skills, comfort with feedback and using it consecutively, ability to adjust strategies when faced with new challenges, and be solutions‑oriented.
• Works well with all levels of firm personnel and can establish effective working relationships throughout the firm.
• Strong organizational, administrative and word‑processing skills.
• Proven working knowledge of MS Office, Excel and Outlook.
• Proficient in using applicant tracking systems and other recruitment tools.

Additional Abilities Required

• Ability to deal with stress associated with a fast‑paced work environment, including handling multiple tasks on a daily basis.
• Ability to make judgement decisions and handle daily, routine responsibilities.
• Adapt to changing work situations and grasp and apply new ideas.
• Communicate with various personalities at all levels of management and staff.
• Accommodate a flexible work schedule that will frequently require long hours and periodically weekend work.
• Desk‑type position which requires a combination of sedentary and standing activities.

Compensation

Salary $111,000 - $216,000. The compensation salary for this position will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to prior experience, relevant expertise, current business needs, and market factors.

Benefits

• Medical/Prescription Drug Coverage (including a Health Savings Account feature)
• Back‑up Child/Elder Care and access to a caregiving concierge
• Dental Insurance
• Wellness Program
• Vision Insurance
• Pre‑tax Commuting Benefits
• 401(k) Retirement Plan and Profit Sharing
• Business Travel Accident Insurance
• Short‑ and Long‑term Disability Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Life Insurance (including Basic, Supplemental, Spouse, Child, and Accidental Death and Dismemberment)
• Health Advocacy Services
• Paid Time Off (25‑30 days per year)
• Identity Protection/Restoration and Fraud Insurance
• Parental Leave (18 weeks of which 6 are paid; short‑term disability may provide additional paid time off)
• Student loan refinancing options and access to a student loan concierge service
• Paid Holidays (12)
• Addiction Resources
• Family Building Benefits
• Breast Milk Delivery and Lactation Support Services
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employees may be eligible to receive bonuses and certain expense reimbursements
• Employee Assistance Program
• Professional Development and CLE Credit Opportunities
• 529 Deductions
• Relocation
• Accident Insurance
• Employee Referral Program
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Hybrid/Remote Work Opportunities
• Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Perks including: Technology, Entertainment, and Travel Discount Programs
• Bereavement Leave
• All other benefits (such as leaves of absence) required by law

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Firm is an equal‑opportunity employer. It is the policy of the Firm that employment decisions shall be based on merit, qualifications and competence. Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by virtue of a person’s race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, familial status, domestic violence victim status, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy governs all aspects of employment including recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, assignment, and dismissal. The Firm has a policy to provide an environment that is free of prohibited harassment of any kind, including that which is based on sex, race, age, disability, ethnic background, or any other protected category. The Firm complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation, please contact [e-mail].

We participate in E‑Verify in certain Firm locations for purposes of verifying employment eligibility.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.