Risk Mitigation and Business Complexity is Driving Demand in Legal Recruiting
May 5, 2026 – Demand for senior legal leaders is rising as companies, and law firms face mounting regulatory complexity, global uncertainty, and shifting risks. Boards and CEOs now expect legal executives to be not only technical experts but also strategic business partners who can influence decisions, manage crises, and deliver commercial impact. The bar has never been higher for legal talent.
At the same time, the hiring landscape is more competitive. Searches are taking longer, counteroffers are increasing, and retirements are creating succession gaps. Firms and corporations alike are prioritizing leaders who combine legal expertise with business acumen, cross-border fluency, and the ability to mentor future talent—making cultural fit and leadership presence as critical as technical skill.
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“Risk mitigation has always been the core reason companies turn to legal counsel, but with growing regulatory complexity globally, and especially in Washington, clients want lawyers who understand how government works and how to stay ahead of shifting policy,” said Kristin Hebert, managing partner of Caldwell’s legal practice and San Francisco office. “They need counsel who can translate regulatory changes into clear, actionable strategies. Cross-border capability is also non-negotiable. As businesses operate globally, they rely on counsel who can navigate multi-jurisdictional risk and coordinate responses across markets.”
“In general, searches are taking longer, and companies are increasingly focused on retention,” she said. “Counteroffers have become more common as employers recognize the high cost of replacing top performers. At the same time, retirements are accelerating across the board. Senior leaders are retiring, and there’s a shortage of next-generation talent ready to step in. Succession planning is at the forefront. To address the talent shortage, law firms and multinationals are hiring more strategically, filling key gaps now to avoid scrambling later. Hiring is no longer just about technical skills; it’s about finding people who can lead through complexity and build for what’s next.”
Business partnership comes first, according to Claire Meyers, a consultant in Caldwell’s board and CEO and legal, compliance, and privacy practices. “Senior legal leaders must be trusted advisors to the C-suite and board, sound judgment and integrity are table stakes,” she said. “Executive communication is critical, lawyers must be able to tailor messages across audiences, functions, and cultures. Global fluency and cross-border experience is highly sought after. The best leaders are hands-on, embedded in the business, and focused on performance. Talent development matters, too. Mentoring, building strong teams, and planning for succession. Clients tend to favor candidates with both top-tier law firm training and in-house experience. Candidates coming directly from the public sector or a law firm must prove they can deliver business-aligned, commercially focused counsel at scale and with a sense of urgency.”
Ms. Hebert explained that clients prioritize technical depth, business acumen, and leadership. “Subject-matter expertise is expected, but today’s top legal executives must also speak the language of the business, partner with finance, and quantify the impact of compliance,” she said. “Boards want leaders with emotional intelligence, influence, and who offer a levelheaded presence during crisis. To assess candidates more holistically, top companies are using behavioral and psychometric tools. These evaluations help decode motivators, workstyle, and fit, they’re not decisive, but they are critical inputs.”
“One of the biggest mistakes is not engaging a search firm early,” Ms. Meyers said. “Trying to do a search internally can often waste time and drag the process out. We see organizations tapping into internal networks or known contacts, only to find that the search goes nowhere while qualified candidates slip away. This is a dynamic market that demands a sense of urgency and organization. All sides need to stick to a timeline. When clients don’t move decisively, candidates can get countered by their employers or move ahead in other processes. Not getting alignment on key criteria from stakeholders at the start of a search is another frequent misstep. Establishing this upfront leads to a more straightforward and cleanly executed process.”
“We’ve seen a significant increase in demand for legal talent, especially compliance professionals. Over the last 12 months, there’s been a noticeable uptick in these searches across a variety of industries,” said Dan Figueroa, a partner at JM Search and leader of the firm’s legal practice.
“Uncertainty around tariffs has made it hard to forecast and budget in some industries, which impacts hiring,” said Dudley Morton, a partner at JM Search and a member of the firm’s legal search practice. “The regulatory landscape is shifting with the current administration, and legal teams are helping companies navigate the evolving regulatory schemes.”
“For law firms, there’s growing demand for transactional attorneys— particularly those in private equity—who have portable books of business,” said Mr. Figueroa. “For companies, they want people who’ve already scaled through the kind of growth they’re targeting, often within the same industry.”
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“At the senior level, it’s about being a strategic leader who understands the business, not just the law,” Mr. Morton said. “Alignment with the company’s goals, strategic objectives, and culture really matters.”
“What are clients emphasizing more today really depends on the company,” said Mr. Figueroa. “First-time general counsel hires need a combination of technical and strategic expertise. But if there’s a team in place, it becomes more about strategy and leadership.”
Strategic Business Advisors
“At the general counsel level, our clients are looking for a strategic business advisor—someone with strong legal and business acumen and the leadership ability to help the executive team drive strategic initiatives,” said Mr. Morton.
“The mistake is hiring someone they know instead of someone who’s already scaled a company through similar growth,” said Mr. Figueroa. “Familiarity gets prioritized over the right experience. The key is finding the right personality and cultural fit—when that’s misaligned, you run the risk of having a legal executive who doesn’t mesh well with the rest of the executive team.”
“It’s not about replacing legal professionals, but about driving efficiency, we’re seeing AI tools that optimize workflows—for instance, contract review—that perform those tasks quickly and efficiently,” Mr. Morton said. “One GC I placed said most of her team embraces these tools, but those who don’t adopt them are at risk of falling behind.”
High Churn Rates
“The last few years have seen high churn among general counsel in key markets,” said Jennifer O’Connell, global leader of the legal, regulatory & compliance practice at Russell Reynolds Associates, shared with Hunt Scanlon. “Our latest analysis of the Fortune 500 and FTSE 350 GC shows that over half have been appointed within the last five years. At the same time, between 20 percent to 25 percent of sitting GC are highly tenured and unlikely to pursue a new role. This leaves few GC in the sweet spot of five to 10 years’ tenure that companies tend to look for in an external candidate. In response to this, companies are increasingly appointing internal, first-time GC. While these individuals may lack prior GC experience, their deep institutional knowledge, strong relationships and sector expertise position them well to step up into a bigger role.”
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“Additionally, companies are becoming increasingly more willing to invest in external support for internal promotion and succession candidates, including leadership assessments, executive coaching and formalized mentoring programs,” Ms. O’Connell continued.
Over the past year, demand for legal talent has evolved in response to regulatory complexity, economic uncertainty and global volatility, according to Jessica Pezim, client partner at The Bedford Group. “In-house teams are under increasing pressure to manage risk strategically—particularly in areas such as privacy, ESG, cybersecurity and employment law – driving demand for legal leaders with specialized expertise and the agility to advise across multiple jurisdictions and evolving frameworks,” she said. “At the same time, organizations are scaling back reliance on external counsel and investing in stronger internal capabilities—particularly at the mid to senior level. This has heightened the need for commercially minded, hands-on professionals who can operate cross-functionally and deliver value in leaner environments.”
“Today’s legal executives are expected to be more than technical experts—they must be trusted advisors who bring sound judgment, influence and business acumen to the executive table,” Ms. Pezim said. “In an environment where uncertainty is the norm, companies are looking for calm, pragmatic voices who can interpret risk in context and contribute meaningfully to enterprise strategy. The strongest legal leaders combine technical depth with agility, sound judgment and business fluency.”
The Bar Has Never Been Higher
For both law firms and in-house legal teams, the bar has never been higher for senior legal talent, Ms. Pezim explained. “While technical expertise remains a baseline requirement, what sets candidates apart today is their ability to lead, influence and deliver results in complex, high-stakes environments,” she said. “In law firms, we are seeing continued emphasis on business development acumen, team leadership and sector expertise. Clients are expecting more from their legal advisors, and firms are seeking partners who bring not only strong client relationships but also a collaborative, entrepreneurial approach to practice growth.”
“Clients aren’t making a choice between expertise, acumen, and leadership when hiring top legal executives,” said Ben Dewar, partner at NU Advisory Partners. “To be considered for a chief legal officer role, depth in all three is essential. In most legal leadership searches, technical expertise alone rarely separates a good candidate from a great one. No lawyer masters every area of the law. What matters is having the right depth where it counts most in their business—whether that’s regulatory, commercial, or complex transactions—and the ability to build a team that covers the rest. A legal executive’s role isn’t to personally manage every issue but to create and lead a high-performing legal function that’s tightly aligned with the business. Leadership here means developing a team of lawyers who operate with the same clarity, judgment, and commercial mindset as the CLO.”
However, Mr. Dewar explained that if you asked most clients to pick just one area they value above the rest, the answer would be business acumen. “Today’s top legal executives are business leaders first, functional experts second,” he said. “The best CLOs I know will tell you that their advice to CEOs and boards is as much about business strategy as it is about the law. They help think through business decisions, evaluate risk in context, and drive the leadership team toward stronger outcomes. As part of business acumen, every great legal leader will also have strong financial fluency. You can’t be a credible business leader without understanding the numbers — P&L, financial models, capital allocation. Without that context, even the best legal advice can miss the mark.”
Over the past year, there has been more targeted hiring and less opportunistic hiring than in the previous several years, according to Shawna Rosner, partner, director of legal solutions group at Direct Recruiters, Inc. (DRI). “Firms and companies are willing to hold out for a candidate who is an exact fit at a time when there is change and uncertainty,” she said. “Economic uncertainty tends to trickle down to the legal field. When companies perceive instability in the economy, they are less likely to engage in deals that require the use of in-house and outside counsel. However, I have not seen a slowdown in hiring for litigation. Litigation filings are more resistant to uncertainty and will likely increase with regulatory changes.”
Ms. Rosner’s clients on the in-house side are looking for candidates who have business acumen. “They want to hire an attorney with the capacity to understand the business and who will have a seat at the table,” she said. “I see companies being more strapped for time and resources, so an attorney who can come in and point out what needs to be done, prioritize the legal needs of the company, and can take the initiative to get it accomplished is going to benefit a growing company. Leadership is also critical—especially when hiring someone to lead or grow a legal team. It’s unlikely a company will hire an attorney for a high-level position who hasn’t had any direct reports. On the other hand, law firms remain focused on making hires for their legal expertise. I don’t see law firms being as concerned with business acumen or leadership experience to get the work done, but they do look for attorneys with these characteristics for business development.”
While partner recruitment is competitive, I think partners are open to making moves when their needs aren’t getting met at their current firm, according to Ms. Rosner. “The mindset that you have to stay at the same firm where you make partner has shifted a bit,” she continued. “Among the reasons I hear partners are open to making a move are that they don’t have the associate support that they need, they have concerns about the succession plan of the firm, or they want to continue to build their book of business, and a different platform will help with this. Firms differentiate themselves by the amount of transferable book they require to make a move, the path they offer to equity, their compensation model at the partner level, or even their expected billable hour requirement at the partner level.”
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
