Industry
Finance recruiting for law firms.
Financial Headhunters: A search focused on the specific capital structure, partner compensation, and matter economics governing your law firm finance function.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
Executive-search discipline at every level, with conversations shaped around the work.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
How long did your last search take?
How much did the empty seat cost while you waited?
Every week a finance seat stays empty costs you in overtime, late closes and work that waits. We go straight to people already doing the job.
01
What does this hire really come down to?
Your finance lead manages the firm’s oxygen. In a partnership, this means more than standard bookkeeping. It requires managing the delicate balance between client realization, timekeeper utilization, and the underlying matter economics that dictate partner profit pools. You need a leader who treats every billing cycle as a critical operational milestone rather than a back-office administrative task.
The challenge lies in the intersection of professional service culture and rigorous financial control. A successful hire understands that partners are owners who demand transparency and actionable data. The leader must translate complex WIP and AR reports into clear insights that influence behavior. They provide the objective check on how firm resources align with the actual profitability of specific practice areas.
Expect your finance lead to own the integrity of the firm’s data. This includes navigating the friction between aggressive billing goals and maintaining client relationships. They must enforce controls without alienating the fee-earners. Whether managing a major shift in reporting or stabilizing cash flow during seasonal downturns, their judgment on the levers of liquidity determines the firm’s ability to reinvest or grow.
02
What do we check before you see anyone?
- 01We verify their direct experience handling matter-level economics where labor cost is the primary expense. They must show they can isolate and improve specific practice group margins.
- 02We check their historical success in managing realization gaps. They need a proven process for identifying why work-in-progress fails to convert to cash within your desired cycles.
- 03We test their fluency with partner compensation modeling. They must describe how they balance firm-wide capital requirements against the individual distribution expectations of your equity partners.
- 04We confirm their technical capability with project-centric ERP platforms. They should explain how they use these systems to pull real-time data instead of waiting for period-end reconciliations.
- 05We assess their communication style regarding sensitive fee disputes. They must prove they can present uncomfortable financial truths to partners while keeping those partners focused on solutions.
- 06We verify they have controlled the volatility of a service-based revenue model where inventory is human time rather than physical goods held in a warehouse. Ask them to describe how they accounted for revenue leakage when a project exceeded the budgeted billable hours.
03
Where do we find them?
We search within peer-structured professional service firms where billing and utilization are the primary measures of health. This includes boutique legal practices, specialized consulting firms, and project-based architecture studios. These candidates currently manage the same cash flow rhythms and partnership reporting structures that define your firm. They already understand that the finance function is an operational partner, not a static record-keeper.
We approach leaders who are currently performing these roles but lack the autonomy or upward path their expertise deserves. They often move when their current environment stifles their ability to implement real improvements or when the firm’s growth creates a ceiling. We focus on those who desire to solve the specific complexity of partner-led firms rather than those seeking a transition to standard corporate accounting.
04
Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?
- 01Hiring from standard corporate backgrounds where revenue is product-based. These candidates struggle with the non-linear nature of time-based realization and the social dynamics of partner distributions.
- 02Prioritizing software certifications over operational experience. A candidate might know the system commands perfectly but lack the intuition to interpret why certain practice groups consistently underperform.
- 03Ignoring the requirement for diplomatic authority. A finance leader who cannot influence partners through data will fail, regardless of their technical accounting precision or resume credentials.
05
The search in three steps
- 01We map your specific operating model against relevant professional service environments to identify high-performing leaders who mirror your current challenges and required reporting cadence.
- 02We conduct direct private outreach to targeted individuals. We explain your specific situation and evaluate their interest to determine if they comprehend the reality of your firm’s financial levers.
- 03We present only the qualified shortlist. Each candidate has been vetted against your requirements so you spend your interview time on individuals capable of immediate operational impact.
06
Which related hiring decisions are worth comparing?
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How your CFO search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
Research, direct conversations and professional judgment, with follow-through through the offer.
Search Calibration
We establish what this person must own: reporting demands, systems responsibilities, team, decision authority and first-year needs. We ask what would make an otherwise good candidate wrong for this job.
You get: An agreed search brief and a clear basis for judging fit.
Market Mapping
We research relevant operating environments, not just matching titles. An owner-led business, a portfolio company and a regulated lender can need different experience from someone with the same job title.
You get: A reasoned research direction, with scope differences made explicit.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We research professional ways to contact the people identified. Finding a name is a starting point; it does not establish availability, interest or fit.
You get: A route to a professional conversation, not simply a candidate list.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We contact people directly about the actual work and follow through on the conversation. We explain the remit and discuss whether a move could make sense. Not everyone will answer or want to move.
You get: A candid view of interest, objections and the tradeoffs in your opportunity.
Live Candidate Qualification
We discuss what each person actually owned, the complexity involved, their reasons for considering a move, compensation expectations and practical constraints. The questions fit the assignment, from a staff accounting seat to CFO.
You get: A candidate account of relevant ownership, with gaps left visible.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
Written recruiter context explains relevant experience, strengths and remaining questions. After introduction, we gather feedback, resolve questions, discuss changed requirements and support interviews and offer decisions. You retain the hiring decision and technical assessment.
You get: Continuity through the offer, rather than a handoff that ends at an introduction.
Questions people ask
What is your estimate for how long the search will take?
The duration depends on your market and the specific seniority of the role. We provide a realistic estimate after our initial assessment of your firm’s complexity and current needs.
How do you evaluate if a candidate will handle the partnership dynamics of our firm correctly?
We evaluate culture through the lens of partnership dynamics. During the search, we assess whether the leader prefers a collaborative or a directive approach to managing financial controls.
What steps are taken to verify a candidate does not accept a counteroffer?
We mitigate counteroffer risks by verifying that candidates seek the specific long-term career path offered at your firm. We confirm their commitment by asking them to describe their primary reason for leaving their current role.
Is this search process kept strictly confidential?
Discreet outreach is guaranteed to protect your firm and candidates. You control what information is shared during every step of our search process.
How are your fees structured?
Law firms benefit from our performance-based model that eliminates upfront recruiting costs. You are invoiced only after successfully hiring a candidate under agreed terms.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your CFO job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
Start a search
Tell us about the seat.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.