From a former BigLaw litigator. I've sat in your chair.
I place private equity attorneys, on the deal side and in private funds, at AmLaw 100 firms and top boutiques in Chicago. Quietly, and only when the move genuinely makes sense for you.
15 minutes. Completely confidential. Firms pay my fee, never you.
Private Equity & Funds ยท Chicago
Chicago anchors private equity for the middle of the country, and it does it differently than New York. The market is built on longstanding middle market sponsors, deep private funds practices, and deal flow that stays steadier through cycles than coastal megadeals. A handful of elite corporate benches carry most of the marquee sponsor relationships, and the gap between those groups and the rest is real.
I track which Chicago groups hold the durable sponsor relationships, which are adding at your level, and which are quieter than their reputation suggests. Before you move, I'll tell you plainly where your experience fits and what it is worth right now.
Before I recruited attorneys, I was one, a litigator at Weil Gotshal and Finnegan Henderson. I know what a 2,200 hour year feels like, how partners really size up a lateral, and what it's like to be the one making this call. That's the difference between someone who forwards your resume and someone who fights for your career.
Time inside BigLaw means I can tell a real sponsor deal sheet from heavy process work, and I know how to frame your closings so you get evaluated on the deals you ran, not the size of your former firm's brand.
No blasting your resume across the market. I learn your practice first, then take you to the handful of Chicago groups that genuinely match where you're headed.
What we discuss stays between us. Nothing about you reaches a firm until you tell me yes, for that specific opportunity, in writing.
Three steps, no pressure, and an honest read from someone who has been on your side of the desk.
Fifteen minutes to understand where you are, where you want to go, and the things you won't compromise on.
A tight set of Chicago private equity roles matched to your practice and your life, each one with a clear reason it's on the list.
I take your story straight to the hiring partner, run point on interviews, prep you for every round, and negotiate the offer.
It's structure, not effort
If your firm isn't winning the matters in your practice area, there's no work to hand down, no matter how proactive you are. Months of quiet start to read like underperformance when the real problem is structural. A busier platform fixes in weeks what staying can never fix at all. The answer isn't grinding harder. It's the right firm.
Hear how attorneys made their next move.
"I didn't think this kind of role was possible for me. It was."
"Steven understood where I was trying to go and built a path to it I couldn't have found on my own."
"It felt discreet, thoughtful, and personal. I never once felt sold."
"His read on how to position my experience, prep for interviews, and negotiate the offer was excellent."
Moving isn't disloyalty
Firms expect laterals. They don't take it personally. The attorneys who advance fastest aren't the ones who never leave. They're the ones who move when their firm can't support what comes next. Your career isn't built on loyalty. It's built by being deliberate about where you spend your 2,000 billable hours.
Completely. What we discuss stays between us, and if we move forward your resume doesn't reach anyone until you give me a yes for that specific opportunity, in writing.
Chicago is the strongest middle market private equity bar in the country, so yes. Repeat sponsor work, real drafting responsibility, and deals you ran end to end matter more here than headline deal size. I'll tell you which groups your sheet fits best.
Firms pay my fee, not you. There's no cost to you at any point in the process.
No. Most attorneys I work with are exploring, not decided. A conversation costs you nothing and tells you a lot.
Both. Chicago has a strong bench of specialist private equity boutiques alongside the big flagship practices. The right answer depends on the work and the life you want, and I'll help you compare them honestly.
I practiced in BigLaw for six years before I switched to recruiting. I don't just know the market, I know what it's like to sit in your chair. I won't waste your time with roles that don't make sense, and I'll be straight with you about what's realistic.
Before I recruited attorneys, I was one. Six years in BigLaw gave me a perspective most recruiters don't have. I know how partners weigh a lateral, how firms think about fit, and what it actually feels like to be the one making this decision.
Nine years and hundreds of placements later, I do one thing: help attorneys who've outgrown where they are find the right next role. Associates, counsel, and partners at AmLaw 100 firms and top boutiques. You set the pace, I keep everything quiet, and I stay focused on what's right for you.
"He introduced me directly to people who were relevant to my experience. I ended up with options that made sense for where I'm going."
15 minutes. Completely confidential. Firms pay my fee, never you.
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