We partner with global leaders at critical moments.
Connecting you exclusively to the very best legal talent worldwide, with uncompromising standards and precision.
About H&P Legal Executive Search
Our award-winning legal headhunters advise law firms and corporate in-house legal teams on senior legal hires worldwide – from partner and team moves to general counsel and leadership appointments. We support clients at pivotal moments, including office launches, strategic lateral hires, leadership transitions, and complex international searches.
Trusted Partnerships
Trusted by market leaders across every major jurisdiction, we are known for delivering some of the most significant and commercially sensitive legal placements in the market.
Trusted Partnerships
Trusted by market leaders across every major jurisdiction, we are known for delivering some of the most significant and commercially sensitive legal placements in the market.
Private Practice Legal Search
We partner with international and independent law firms on strategic private practice hires, from individual partner appointments through to full team moves and office launches, supporting long-term firm growth and capability.
We advise on:
- Equity Partners and Income Partners
- Partners and Partner Teams
- Counsel
- Senior Associates and Associates
- Office Launch and Practice Build-Out Leadership
In-House Legal Search
Our In-House Legal team partners with corporates and financial institutions to build high-performing legal and compliance functions that bring technical excellence and commercial acumen.
We deliver senior in-house legal recruitment including:
- General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers
- Senior Legal Counsel and Legal Counsel
- Compliance and regulatory leadership
- Assistants and Paralegals
- Data protection and privacy specialists
Legal Practice Areas
- Antitrust
- Capital Markets
- Compliance
- Corporate and Transactional
- Data and Privacy
- Employment
- Energy
- Financing
- Insurance
- Investment Funds
- Life Sciences
- Litigation and Arbitration
- Public Law
- Real Estate
- Restructuring
- Tax
Legal Practice Areas
- Antitrust
- Capital Markets
- Compliance
- Corporate and Transactional
- Data and Privacy
- Employment
- Energy
- Financing
- Insurance
- Investment Funds
- Life Sciences
- Litigation and Arbitration
- Public Law
- Real Estate
- Restructuring
- Tax
Global Reach and Local Mastery
We combine global reach with deep local market insight, supporting legal recruitment mandates across the UK, USA, Europe, and Asia. This enables us to deliver confident, informed hiring decisions for law firms and corporates with cross-border requirements.
Testimonials
"Within twelve months, H&P was able to succeed on two challenging assignments helping us staff both a Principal and a Senior Associate. Their existing relationships, ability to canvas the market, and persistence contributed to the outcomes. We’ll continue to partner with them.”
– BVG
“We had a great experience working with H&P. They were professional, detail-oriented, and presented us with several high-quality candidates who could be a good fit for the role. Most importantly, H&P understood what we needed and were able to be very strategic and bespoke, saving our team time during an important process.”
– LONGWATER OPPORTUNITIES
"We have been working with H&P for almost two years now, and they have indeed become our number one partner when it comes to legal recruitment. We can also always rely on their strong search knowledge, advice, and professional work. Together we managed to fill several challenging legal positions over the past two years – thank you for the very successful and trustworthy cooperation."
– TALENT MANAGEMENT, BANKING
Discuss a legal hire in confidence
Speak with our Legal team about your next senior appointment.
What does H&P Executive Search do?
H&P Executive Search is a legal executive search firm advising law firms and in-house legal teams on their most senior and strategic hires — from associates and counsel through to equity partners, and from legal counsel through to General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers. We combine embedded market specialists with global reach across the UK, US and Europe.
Do H&P work with both law firms and in-house legal teams?
Yes. Our Private Practice team partners with international and independent law firms on partner and team moves, office launches and practice build-outs. Our In-House team helps corporates and financial institutions build high-performing legal and compliance functions, from a first senior hire through to General Counsel. Learn more about Private Practice and In-House.
What seniority levels do you recruit?
We focus on senior and business-critical appointments. In private practice that spans senior associates, counsel, income and equity partners, and full team moves; in-house, it spans senior legal counsel, compliance and data privacy leaders, and General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers.
Which practice areas do you cover?
Our specialists cover antitrust, capital markets, compliance, corporate and transactional, data and privacy, employment, energy, financing, insurance, investment funds, life sciences, litigation and arbitration, public law, real estate, restructuring, and tax.
Which global markets do you recruit across?
We deliver legal search mandates across the UK, US and Europe, with consultants who know their local markets first-hand and handle cross-border and multi-jurisdiction appointments as a matter of routine.
How do you keep legal searches confidential?
Discretion is built into every mandate. For sensitive partner moves and senior in-house appointments we run searches on a no-names basis where needed, control the flow of information carefully, and share nothing with a client until a candidate has agreed to proceed.
Why choose H&P for legal executive search?
We work as advisers, not a database — embedded specialists with the relationships to reach talent that moves rarely, and the rigour to deliver when it matters most. The results bear it out: a 98% success rate on retained search, and 91% of placements still in role 3 years in.
We’ve provided simple and clear answers to some common queries about private practice hiring and our services.