Chicago is one of the top restructuring markets in the country. Let's find the group that stays busy in every cycle.
From a former BigLaw litigator. I've sat in your chair.
I place restructuring and bankruptcy attorneys 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.
Restructuring & Bankruptcy ยท Chicago
Chicago punches above its weight in restructuring, and the benches are deep.
Chicago is a genuine national restructuring hub, home to some of the most respected debtor and creditor practices anywhere. The work is counter cyclical and steady, but it clusters in a handful of elite groups, and the gap between them and the rest is wide.
I track which Chicago groups are on the live mandates, 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.
Most recruiters have never done your job. I have.
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.
I know how partners read a lateral
Time inside BigLaw means I can tell real restructuring responsibility from staffing on the edges of a case, and I know how to frame your mandates so you get evaluated on the deals you actually ran.
I won't send you where you don't fit
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.
Discreet from the first call
What we discuss stays between us. Nothing about you reaches a firm until you tell me yes, for that specific opportunity, in writing.
A simple, confidential process that respects your time.
Three steps, no pressure, and an honest read from someone who has been on your side of the desk.
A quiet first call
Fifteen minutes to understand where you are, where you want to go, and the things you won't compromise on.
A shortlist that fits
A tight set of Chicago restructuring roles matched to your practice and your life, each one with a clear reason it's on the list.
I go to bat for you
I take your story straight to the hiring partner, run point on interviews, prep you for every round, and negotiate the offer.
The Chicago restructuring work I place for.
- Chapter 11 mandates on the debtor and creditor side
- Liability management, out of court restructurings, and distressed exchanges
- Ad hoc and official committee representations
- Distressed M&A and section 363 sales
- The move into one of Chicago's elite restructuring benches
It's structure, not effort
Sometimes the bottleneck isn't you. It's deal flow.
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.
Real stories, real career moves.
Hear how attorneys made their next move.
"I didn't think this kind of role was possible for me. It was."
Associate, Appellate (AmLaw Firm)
"Steven understood where I was trying to go and built a path to it I couldn't have found on my own."
Counsel, M&A (AmLaw Firm)
"It felt discreet, thoughtful, and personal. I never once felt sold."
Partner, Elite Litigation (Boutique)
"His read on how to position my experience, prep for interviews, and negotiate the offer was excellent."
AmLaw Firm
Moving isn't disloyalty
Most associates think lateraling is risky. Staying still is riskier.
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.
Questions you're probably already asking.
Is this actually confidential?
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 restructuring is dominated by a few big names. Can I actually get in?
The top groups are selective, but they add laterally more than people assume, especially at the associate and counsel level. I'll tell you honestly where you stand and which Chicago groups are hiring right now.
How do you get paid?
Firms pay my fee, not you. There's no cost to you at any point in the process.
Do I need to be actively looking to reach out?
No. Most attorneys I work with are exploring, not decided. A conversation costs you nothing and tells you a lot.
Do you only work with Big Law, or boutiques too?
Both. Chicago has a strong bench of specialist restructuring 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.
Why work with you instead of another recruiter?
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.
About Steven
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."
The next move starts with one conversation.
15 minutes. Completely confidential. Firms pay my fee, never you.
Book a Confidential Call