Origin Story

Not a Superhero Story


Just an ex-lawyer
with some crazy ideas


On his second day as a legal recruiter, Whistler's founder, Sean Burke,
cold-called a startup attorney to pitch him on a job at a bank, but the man 
on the other end had already found his dream job.

"I hated my BigLaw M&A job," the attorney told him.


"Now I have 30 clients of my own, act as an outside GC on everything from IP, employment, and lease negotiations, to selling the company for millions to Google. I make NY market. And, I wear jeans to work."

Sean, whose own quest for professional fulfillment had taken him from a SF lit boutique,
to a boom-era West Coast startup, to a New York City recruiting firm, reacted


"Why didn't someone tell me this job existed when
I was in law school?!"

Whistler's mission is to make sure you never have to ask that question.

What We do

Stay Ahead of
the Curve

We’re building the law
practices of the future

as the leaders in tech convergence
placements.

Describing tech convergence is like describing jazz--obnoxious--but, like jazz, jazz
tech convergence centers on building structure in the moment, flexibility,
and intuition. The legal industry hasn’t always been prepared for the ways
technology has integrated into every facet of our lives, but Whistler has.
That’s why top firms come to us for attorneys that are ahead of the curve
and prepared to steer their clients into the future.

We are True hmm
Believers

We believe that dream jobs can pay market. That happiness and
financial reward are not mutually exclusive.

Top Wall Street firms represent only a small fraction of the killer
opportunities awaiting you.

Maybe you want to change the world by helping startups.
Maybe you want to own the world by helping startups.
We're not here to judge. We're here to turn you into
a believer.

We Are Tipping Point Artists artist

Other recruiters talk a big game.
Ours is simple.

You already know any job worth having is going to attract talent.
Whistler evaluates the competition to make you five to ten percent better.
Whatever your superpower, Whistler will help you discover it, sharpen it
and bring it to the table.

That's the difference you need to stand out from
the pack.

Our comprehensive knowledge of our core industries - Entertainment,
Tech/IP, startups and Fintech/Regulatory - is going to put you over the edge.

We Are
Matchmakers

True professional love
requires personalization.

We're going to take the time to get to know you so that we can find you a worthy match.
Which offer maximizes your potential to spend all day, every day, representing clients you love?
Which provides the best balance of hours, interesting work, and exit opportunities?
Which will put you exactly where you want want to be five years from now?

A headhunter wants you to take the job.
We want you to take the right job.

Practice Areas

Emerging Companies &
Venture Capital

Risking failure is the
first step to success.

Where sophisticated IP law meets business advisor meets psychiatrist.

Startups fail, a lot, but you don’t have to. There’s a place where your
business sense is valued and compensated. A risk for the risk-averse.

Startup clients need business advice as much as legal advice.
Top startup law firms are looking for someone that can do both
(the perfect “Outside General Counsel”). The best part? If one
of those startups goes belly up, you won’t. What’s more, you get
to know the startup landscape so when that GC job becomes available,
you’ll know it’s worth your time.

Partners at top law firms call us when they need a GC for one of their startups.
Even top GCs call us when they want a new startup job. Other recruiting shops
aren’t even in the running.

We can’t name names but let’s
just say the last four hires at
[insert startup law firm X] were ours

View our Emerging Companies & Venture Capital Jobs

FinTech & Regulatory

Invent the job as you go.

Welcome to a highly regulated space with ever-changing rules.
You’ve got this excitement for what’s next and you’re great at talking to regulators,
but you’re done defending Pharma bros. Why not use those same skills to help
an entrepreneur navigate the regulatory landscape or pick the right revenue model
for their great idea?
Imagine being in the room the first time someone suggested putting ads in a search
engine or creating an app to rent your spare room. Attorneys in this space possess
a unique combination of caution and initiative.
If you’re passionate about your practice, partner with us and we can help direct
that passion. Whether it’s privacy, blockchain or AI, we have placed more attorneys
in this space than anyone.

Rules are meant to be rewritten.

IP & Life Sciences Transactions

Be the expert you already are.

Your Knowledge Matters
You grew up building robots in your basement, got a degree in physics,
and spent every holiday serving as your family’s personal IT help desk.
We want you to be a great lawyer and also utilize your skill set.
Chances are, your unique expertise has been underutilized.
We’ll take your past life and put it to work for you.
What’s more useful to a Pharma client? Someone who is great at checking
footnotes or someone who wrote their thesis on the Patentability of Human-
Animal Chimeras? These clients need someone with real world experience.

They need you.

View our IP & Life Sciences Transactions Jobs

Media & Entertainment

They don’t make ‘em like they used to.

No industry epitomizes the concept of tech convergence better than media.
Streaming services and tech companies have all but merged.
If you have hands-on experience representing entertainment clients
or expertise in a relevant practice area, tell your people to call our people.
Lawyers in this area are shaping the way we experience entertainment and
you can leverage your legal experience to get a job that is not only dynamic
and exciting, but also pays.

Bring us what you’ve got and we’ll
handle the rest.

Some people
really like us:

I've had the privilege of working with Whistler and Kathleen Mon from both sides of the table. During my tenure as Chief of Staff to the General Counsel at Gopuff Kathleen helped me find dynamic tech and regulatory lawyers that were great additions to our team. Kathleen listened (rare in a recruiter these days), helped us build on-point candidate profiles, and then brought amazing candidates to the table. Most importantly, she understood that finding the right culture fit was equally, if not more, important than finding a candidate with the right set of skills. It made the search process easy and effective.
Most recently, I worked with Kathleen as a candidate. In a world of mega recruiting agencies, working with Kathleen on the candidate side was a breath of fresh air. She communicated honestly, was super responsive, and gave me great feedback and advice during the entire process - from resume prep through the interview stages. Kathleen landed me a role I am absolutely thrilled about and it would not have been possible without her. I can't thank her enough and I highly recommend Kathleen to anyone looking to take that next step in their career!

 

NAT FLANDREAU Nat Flandreau

VP of Legal at Hubble Contacts

Josh is heads and tails above any recruiter I have ever worked with. He really listens to you, taking into account your personal and professional goals, and works to find a match that is more than just numbers and geography, but something that is the right fit and a place that you could be happy and succeed long-term. He opened my eyes to an opportunity that I was not initially considering, which helped to catapult me to the next level of my career. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience, relationships with top-tier firms, and actually delivers results, for me as well as for the friends and former colleagues who have asked to be referred to him.
On a personal level, Josh is warm, supportive, trustworthy and responsive. He invests in you in a meaningful way, taking the time to respond to all of your questions and concerns, prepare you for interviews, check in with you, and generally providing valuable mentorship and advice. He genuinely cares about your happiness, well-being and success and I cannot recommend him highly enough.

 


ANONYMOUSgertrude stein 2

Bankruptcy Counsel at AmLaw 100 Firm

Sean called me his first day on the job nearly 20 years ago. He moved me from litigation in a failing patent boutique to IP/Corporate at a top five PPP firm. It was exactly what I asked for and completely the wrong move for me.
Then, he helped me move, without getting paid for it, to a mid-sized advertising boutique where I worked happily for several years.
Lastly, as I was on the verge of true happiness, I had picked out office space and was moving to Austin Texas to start my own boutique with great weather and no state taxes, he asked me to “have breakfast and shake a hand” with this great firm he knows. Almost a decade later, it was a perfect fit.
Now we use Whistler to find other great attorneys fed up with Big Law that want interesting work and better lives.

 


S. GREGORY BOYDgreg boyd

Partner & Co-Chair of Interactive Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit

Unlike other recruiters, Sean and Whistler listened to what I wanted in a job and actively pursued those types of positions. At the time I was attempting to move from one practice area to another and most recruiters pitched me for the same practice area over and over. Whistler also had access to firms that were not on the typical recruiter “list.” I highly recommend them!

 


LINDSAY RODMANLindsay Rodman

Senior Director, Business & Legal Affairs at Atlantic Records (former Davis & Gilbert)

Sean and the Whistler team deeply understand the in-house and law firm markets and how they work together. As we've grown, I've relied on them to help us think through new openings, understand the market and find top talent.

 


JOSH BESERJosh Beser b&w circle

Former General Counsel of Away, Emerging Companies Partner at Wilson Sonsini

I liked working with them so much, I joined the company!


Whistler team circle

DAN MUMMERY, Former Partner and Co-Chair, Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Transactions Group. Hiring Partner, Palo Alto office at Gibson Dunn

EMILY WITT, Former Senior Recruiting & Legal Personnel Coordinator at Wachtell

NADEEN SHATARA, Former Recruiter at Gunderson Dettmer and Fenwick

KATHLEEN MON, Former Senior Manager - NY Administrative and Professional Resources at Torys

LEE IACOCCA, had he worked in legal recruiting, we're sure

Josh leveled with me from the start. He never tried to sell me on a position, but rather took the time to talk through options and took a vested interest in my career. I was more than just a commission.
Whether you're trying to break in or move up in the ultra competitive tech or entertainment fields, Whistler can actually get you there. Whistler's industry focused networks and resources allow them to deliver where the other guys can't.
I recommend Josh to everyone because he delivered. He listened to where I wanted my career to go and then paved the road to get there.

 


MARK BONINMark Bonin

Legal Counsel at The Kraft Group; New England Patriots; New England Revolution

Whistler Partners is an outstanding firm, and they've become the gold standard for tech recruiting both on the law firm side and in-house. They have a deep bench, and they have all  of the same resources (if not more than) the big shops do, but their differentiators are unparalleled relationships and how they make the overall experience to be highly personalized.

 


SACHIN BANSALSachin Bansal

General Counsel at SecurityScorecard

I spent over 6 months trying to hire the right in-house GC, using different agencies and interviewing dozens of candidates. Then came Kathleen.
She spent a considerable amount of time with me to understand the role, and more importantly to understand our company's culture.
Her very first intro blew the competition out of the water, and I'm happy to say she's starting next week. These guys are snipers!

 

OMRI DOROmri Dror

Co-Founder & COO of Obligo

The Whistler team has deep relationships with EGVC, private equity and corporate attorneys and have tremendous domain expertise in these areas. I always pay close attention to the candidates they work with. On top of that, the Whistler team is also a pleasure to work with.

 


JEFFREY LEHRERjeffrey lehrer

Chair, Emerging Growth and Venture Capital and Member, US Executive Committee at DLA Piper

Sean and his experienced team at Whistler consistently identify exactly the right candidate when I have an open position. They understand the market and they listen to me — but, more importantly, it’s clear that they listen to their candidates. And they’re terrific to work with.

 


JAHAN SHARIFIJahan Sharifi

Partner & Co-Chair of Investment Funds and Asset Management at Barnes & Thornburg

Tad and Whistler Partners have a great feel for the legal marketplace, especially as it relates to emerging markets. Tad was the perfect friend and ally in helping navigate the most complicated aspects of job change, while at all times making sure that I was maximizing my opportunities in a competitive environment.

 

Mike McQueeny b&w

MICHAEL MCQUEENY

Cannabis Counsel at Foley Hoag

I wouldn’t be at my current in-house job right now without Jordan’s help with the intermediate steps. I can't recommend him more highly. He’s incredibly well versed in Big Law and is your secret weapon for interview prep — it seems like he knows everybody and he does a great job of helping you frame your move.

 

JONATHAN ALLANJon Allan

Deputy General Counsel at Stoke Therapeutics, former PE M&A and Emerging Companies at Fenwick & West

Taylor and I met in unusual circumstances. It wasn’t a recruiting email or a listed job. In fact, Taylor and I met after I had spoken with another legal recruiter who completely dismissed the transition I was looking to make as “impossible.” I insisted that I wanted to move from Project Finance to EC/VC and he pointed me to Taylor. After a few seconds on the phone I could tell this was the guy and he was at the firm that was going to get me there. Taylor, and Whistler Partners for that matter, are frankly the best at what they do. They leverage personal and professional connections to get you where you want to go. After hearing time and time again that it was impossible to have the career I wanted, here came Taylor who didn’t point out a problem, but instead offered a solution. Low and behold, Taylor’s strategy worked out and today I am an EC/VC associate at a top 3 firm for EC/VC.
Taylor not only worked with me to get me the transition I wanted, but once I was at the new firm Taylor was always readily available to answer questions, offer advice and give perspective on the transition. Whistler Partners and Taylor are well connected, smart, and experienced and those who use their services benefit greatly from their well-earned respect in just about every field of law. Taylor and Whistler Partners have gone on to help several people in my network contemplate and execute excellent lateral moves. Whether you are looking to move to another firm in the same field or if you are trying pivot and change careers entirely, I cannot recommend them enough. If you’re considering a move, or even if you’re not, a conversation with Taylor and the folks at Whistler can, and will, open your eyes into how you can make your professional (and frankly personal) life better.

 

JOSE CORTE-REALJose Corte-Real

Emerging Companies & Venture Capital Associate at Wilson Sonsini

Wolf and the rest of the Whistler team were instrumental in finding the best opportunity for me in FinTech, and more specifically the niche area of cryptocurrencies.
Most importantly, they listened to my desire in terms of law firm structure and growth prospects. They gave me valuable insight on market compensation and leverage in negotiations. Ultimately, I was placed at a great firm that had the kind of culture and growth prospects I sought, and the Whistler team made that happen.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxgertrude stein 7

General Counsel at xxxxxxxxxx, former Blockchain Partner at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sean - wanted to tell you how much I appreciate what you and you team are doing for us, and for the fact that you “get” our vision etc.
You were right when you first called me – xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx are a perfect fit in terms of how we see the world. I’m excited for xxxxxxxx to grow with Whistler and to build something very cool and ready for the future. I’m looking forward to doing some great deals with you.
Just wanted to drop a line – don’t share this – it’ll ruin my image…😊

 

xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx gertrude stein 3

CEO and Managing Partner of  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Whistler has been an invaluable partner to our firm as we have grown over the years. Sean Burke and his team really took the time to get to know what is unique and special about our firm – which translated into Whistler being able to consistently bring us candidates who are a great fit.

 


JEFFREY GREENBAUMJeffrey Greenbaum

Managing Partner at Frankfurt Kurnit

Working with the Whistler team was an absolute pleasure. I can’t think of another firm that could have put so many well-qualified candidates together for a single opening. 

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxgertrude stein 15

General Counsel of xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I’ll always think of my legal career as BT / AT. Before Tad and After Tad.
More than a terrific agent, he’s the best mentor, coach and teammate a young lawyer could ever have. Beyond the experience, beyond the connections, beyond the strategy and the sheer amount of effort he puts in, what sets Tad apart is his genuine love for the work. Teaming up with Tad was more than successful, it was inspirational. Seeing his passion and drive made me want to be not only the best lawyer I can be, but also the best parent, friend and colleague.
When I was first introduced to Whistler Partners I mistakenly thought they were a VC firm themselves. But that’s how polished, professional, scrappy and successful his team is for their clients & candidates. They find opportunity and deliver for their partners like no one else.
Tad is Jerry Maguire, Bill Belichick, and Jerry Rice all rolled into one. More than a terrific agent, more than a legendary career coach, truly a teammate on the legal field. He knows the players, the strategy, and the competition, and won’t stop until he delivers. If you want to win, go with Whistler. They’re the Yankees, Patriots, Lakers, Red Wings, Jordan, Brady, Phelps, Woods of the industry and it's not especially close. Working with this team feels like a cheat code. “Unlocking” Whistler will catapult your career like nothing else.

 

gertrude stein 14

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Private Equity & Venture Capital Associate at xxxxxxxxxxxxxx