Going In-House

There’s a world where your business acumen is as valued as your legal credentials.

Maybe you’re sick of keeping track of your billables, or maybe you’re the GC of a startup that’s just gone public. While the possibilities in-house are endless, there’s also no more Cravath Scale or AmLaw rankings. You’re in the Wild West, but Whistler is here to guide you.

 

Don't see a role for you on our job board?

While we don't have additional in-house roles available right now, signing up for our newsletter is the best way to hear about new roles.

 

 

Happy In-House Counsel Club:

Emily was an incredible search partner for us as we embarked on the first legal hire for our company. She thoughtfully listened to our needs, delivered a great set of candidates, managed an efficient search process, and helped us land our current Head of Legal.  I would highly recommend her for helping companies fill open legal roles!

 

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Co-Founder at Digital Health Start-Up

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

Working with Nadeen and Whistler Partners has been a great experience for me.  Nadeen was able to connect me with a dream job opportunity at a unicorn start-up, and I have Nadeen to thank for that.  I tried direct applying and through linkedIn, but Nadeen was able to get me in rather quickly through her great connections to the tech industry.  I highly recommend working with Nadeen and Whistler Partners!

 

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Legal Counsel at Smart Home Unicorn

Taylor isn't your "average recruiter." He never pushed me towards something that wasn't a good fit, but instead was intent on getting to know me and my needs. During the interview process, he connected me with Whistler contacts who gave me insights into the companies I was interviewing at, and he considered all of my feedback before giving me invaluable advice, including how to tackle some difficult conversations diplomatically. I would hands down recommend Taylor to anyone looking to make a move in-house.

 

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Legal Counsel at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Find a better fit

Associate Jobs

Lateralling as an Associate

The job you get out of law school does not determine your fate, because it's the next move - the one you make when you know what you want - that means everything.

Whether you want a culture upgrade, a practice area shift, more interesting clients, or a better chance at making partner, we can light the way.

 

Don't see a role for you on our job board?

We have access to hundreds of open associate roles at any given time.

 

 

Happy Associates Club:

I've worked with Whistler Partners for over 3 years, and this is the second offer I've accepted through them in that time. Their knowledge of the technology sector is top notch – they clearly know and were able to introduce me to the best opportunities in it. And more specifically, Taylor and Nadeen have been fantastic to work with. They’re never pushy, provide detailed and nuanced insight about specific roles and general career trajectory, and always prepared me in advance of each interview. Really glad to have them in my corner!

 

 

ARON NIMANIAron Nimani-1

Technology Transactions and Licensing Senior Associate at WilmerHale

Francis helped me secure a position at the perfect firm for me. His high energy level and unique insights into how specific practice groups operate made each conversation fruitful. Switching firms can be stressful and may feel like a full-time job in itself, but working with Francis made the process much easier to navigate.

 

JORDAN THOMPSONJordan Thompson

Tech Transactions Associate at Davis Wright Tremaine

I can recommend Julieta without reservation.  Throughout my job search, she was extremely responsive and gave my (many) questions a great deal of thought.  She also has excellent market knowledge and connections in the Bay Area.  Her Bay Area expertise is especially valuable as I went to school on the East Coast  and was less familiar with the West Coast EC/VC firms.  Lastly, I thought of Julieta as a strategic partner, rather than someone trying to sell me on any particular outcome or firm, which earned my trust and respect.  

 


NATHANIEL GRAYNathaniel Gray

Corporate and Securities (Startups) Associate at Gunderson Dettmer

Working with Wolf was one of the better professional experiences I've had. He took the time to actually understand what I was looking for in my next job and how it aligned with my overall career goals. He provided me with tailored advice and opportunities, whereas, frankly, other recruiters seemed more interested in making sure I was placed anywhere they could find an opening (relevant or not). Wolf also took the time to be there for me on a personal level, and was a great sounding board when considering different offers.
I would recommend Wolf 10/10 times.

 

JOE DOLLJoe Doll

Corporate & Crypto Associate at Fenwick & West

There is no better recruiter to work with than Tad. Not only does Tad work tirelessly to make sure you are offered the best opportunities, but he also takes the time and effort to get to know you personally so that he can make sure he’s placing you somewhere that fits your vibe, rather than trying to rush you through the process.
To put it simply, I will never work with anyone else. I am positive that there’s no better recruiter out there who cares as much as Tad, and the Whistler team as a whole, to make sure you end up somewhere where you’ll be satisfied at a professional level and, more importantly, happy at a personal level.

 

Marc Baliatico

MARC BALIATICO

Private Funds Associate at Proskauer Rose

From the start, Tad listened carefully to understand what I was trying to accomplish in my lateral move and shaped and drove the search process advising me at every step of the journey. He is an excellent negotiator with prospective firms and tells it how it is to his clients. He made certain that I had all of the information and considered every angle before accepting or turning down an offer. We worked very well together and I have and will continue to recommend him to friends exploring a lateral move.

 

WILL REILY

WILL REILY

Financial Restructuring Associate at King & Spalding

Tad took the time to learn about my career goals, and rather than simply sharing opportunities and openings, he took the time to discuss and prepare multiple plans and paths for me to achieve these goals. In the end, I ended up at a great firm that puts right on track for where I hope my legal career will lead. Aside from our professional relationship, Tad also took the time to get to know me personally and continued to check in even when our search had to be temporarily put on hold due to the pandemic.

 

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Mergers & Acquisitions Associate at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Emily is a wonderful human being and that is what makes her an outstanding recruiter. The time and patience Emily took to help me figure my path was relentless yet supportive. This just shows how dedicated the team at Whistler is to your hopes and ambitions. Hands down the best experience with a recruiter ever. Keep it up team Whistler!

 

PRALIKA JAINPralika Jain

Healthcare Associate at Moses & Singer

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

Francis is not only awesome at what he does, but also is an all around great person to work with and to know. He has been a trusted advisor for me throughout my process of lateraling to a new firm in all respects, and has helped me to navigate the business-related aspects of the move (interviewing, negotiating the offer, etc.) as well as talking me through the things that would affect my personal life and career objectives. He is an organized, responsive and well-connected “people-person” who goes above and beyond the typical role of a recruiter to make sure his clients are taken care of.

 

JASMINE JOSEPHJasmine Joseph

Early Stage and Venture Capital Associate at Latham & Watkins

Very dependable and responsive, Francis was instrumental in my search for a position in the media/tech transactions space. He took the time to understand what type of role I was looking for and provided invaluable guidance every step of the way.

 

MERISSA PICOMerissa Pico

Technology Transactions Associate at Covington

Taylor made my dream job a reality. From our first call, I could tell that he had done his homework, genuinely cared about my career goals, and wanted to help me accomplish them. He understands the nuances of the media, entertainment, and technology legal market. Taylor thoughtfully and carefully curated potential lateral opportunities, found the perfect fit, and made the process seamless. I always felt that Taylor was invested in me for the long haul, and he has been a trusted adviser and friend.

 

PHILLIP HILLPhil Hill

Soft IP Litigation Associate at Covington

Taylor and Whistler know what they’re doing in this market. They took the time to get to know me and my career goals so we could focus only on positions that would make a great fit. They have live knowledge of what’s market and use it to time things just right. It’s clear they’re playing the long game with the professionals they work with, and I’d be happy to partner again with them in the future.

 

 

MONTANA WAREMontana Ware

Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Associate at Orrick

Wolf and the Whistler team are a next generation team of legal recruiters. They are savvy, experienced and deeply entrenched in the right markets. I started working with Wolf even before I wanted a change because it was clear it was a relationship worth having, for both career and personal reasons. Later on, when a change was in the works, Wolf seamlessly led me through the process and helped me reach and even expand my goals.

 

TOMER STEINTomer Stein

Currently In-House, Former Capital Markets Associate at Latham & Watkins

Wolf was a straight shooter and a pleasure to work with as I traversed what I thought would be an uncomfortable process. Wolf helped me figure out what I wanted out of a job, gave me the lay of the land of where I could find what I wanted, and helped me land at one of those destinations. Couldn’t be happier with the process and the end result.

 

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IP Licensing & Technology Transactions Associate at xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I have had such an amazing experience with Wolf and his team! As I was considering shifting into a new area of practice, Wolf listened intently to what I was looking for. Unlike recruiters I worked with in the past, Wolf only provided me with opportunities that were relevant to my goals. Wolf and his team listened to what I wanted in a new firm and provided instrumental advice during the interview process.
Most importantly, when I received my offer from xxxxxxxxxxx, Wolf didn't pressure me to take it. Instead, he told me to reflect on how this next move will fit into my overall career trajectory and think about those considerations before accepting. The Whistler team looks at the bigger picture and truly focuses on how to ensure you have the best experience and land the offer you really want!

 

 

 

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Emerging Companies Associate at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tad and Emily helped me work through a difficult, risky transition - my practice group experienced several senior departures at once, and I had to decide quickly whether to go or stay, and if going, where to go. Lots of calls and meetings, and more than one kick in the ass later, all courtesy of my friends at Whistler, I landed on my feet, in a better situation than where I started. Thanks, again, for taking good care of me.

 

Robert Weiss

ROBERT WEISS

Asset Management and Investment Funds Counsel at K&L Gates

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

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Private Equity & Venture Capital Associate at xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lateralling as a Partner

Finding the right platform for your practice is paramount. 

We believe that tech and startup partners’ books are pound-for-pound worth more to a firm because of their growth potential. You're building the legal practices of the future, and that should be rewarded. 

Is it just you? Have you built a whole team? Either way,  we can help match you with a firm that delivers on its promises.

 

Don't see a role for you on our job board?

The roles listed above only represent a small percentage of the roles we're working on, and many firms are open to proactively hiring the right partner.

 

Happy Partners Club:

You've got Qs, we've got As

FAQ

The recruiting process can be opaque.

We're all about making it more transparent.2

 

Why don’t I just submit myself?

You wouldn’t try to argue a case in court if you weren’t a litigator. Sometimes it’s just best to leave things to the professionals. We do this everyday. We know these firms. We got lunch with the hiring manager last week. We are your asset.

And occasionally we will advise that you submit yourself to certain roles.3

Why shouldn’t I just submit through a friend?

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be” - Shakespeare 4

Ok fine, but why work with Whistler Partners instead of another recruiting shop?

We always say that at Whistler Partners we're matchmakers, not headhunters. But what does that actually mean?

Most types of recruiting are job-driven. Get a job, fill it with whoever. Legal recruiting, on the other hand, is uniquely candidate-driven. A law firm may not be advertising an opening for a capital markets associate, but they'd happily interview one with great credentials. 

Whistler recognized that legal recruiting is uniquely candidate-driven, and we changed our MO.  We train our recruiters to put candidates first by never being pushy, by always offering neutral advice, and by fostering relationships that follow candidates throughout their careers. While many shops silo recruiters into working only with attorneys in one region and seniority level, we allow our recruiters to work with a candidate throughout their career, from when they're a junior associate in New York through when they're an equity partner in Los Angeles. 

Last, we're unique in that we focus on placing tech and startup attorneys. We recognize that understanding verticals is just as important as understanding practice areas, so we have recruiters who focus on fintech, healthtech, 

Did we mention that we negotiate salaries and benefits every day?

Negotiation takes practice and we’ve done our reps.

Why use just one recruiter for my law firm job search? Isn’t more… more?!

We love maximalism! But it’s not great when it comes to legal recruiters.

Think of yourself like a star athlete, and of us like your agent. LeBron James would never have two agents with conflicting interests advising him.5 They wouldn't be able to offer impartial advice.

Similarly, if you have two separate recruiters, they’re incentivized to advocate most for the job where they represent you, even if that’s not the best move for your career. 

Additionally, using multiple recruiters makes it harder to pace a search and to negotiate extensions on offers. A good recruiter will leverage a firm's speed to help move the process along with other firms.

Because of those two issues, we always prefer that you work with just one recruiter on a law firm search, even if it’s not us. Choose the one you trust most and stick with them.

What if another recruiter calls me about an “exclusive” law firm job?

Call your favorite Whistler recruiter. If you’re an associate, 99% of law firm jobs aren’t exclusive to any single recruiter. Claiming that an associate level law firm job is “exclusive” is often a trick used when fishing for resumes. If the job does happen to be that 0.1% of law firm associate jobs that is exclusive, we will double-check with the firm and gracefully bow out if true.

How do recruiters get paid? I know you’re not all just doing this out of the kindness of your own hearts.

Our fees are paid by whoever hires you.

We probably place 1/10 people we consult with, but we strive to provide 10/10 with valuable advice. If you do want to bribe us with gifts like alcohol or free dinners, we’ll gladly accept. (Recruiting doesn’t have the strict code of ethics law does.)

That said, the highest compliment you can give us is a referral.

Should I go in-house? Is it too early in my career?

We refer to “the 10,000 hour rule” (credit: cool Gibson Dunn partner, piggybacking on Malcolm Gladwell). Associates tend to be ready to go in-house when they have about 10,000 hours under their belt (around the fifth year if you’re billing 2,000 hours a year). Going in-house too early could potentially stall out your career. In BigLaw, there are clear benchmarks and an annual raise is essentially guaranteed. But the business world is far more opaque. If you start as a low level counsel, you can easily be pigeon holed into doing the same kind of contract over and over again, at the same salary, for years.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, so we advise you talk with a recruiter you trust (even if you found the job on your own) to help evaluate if an in-house offer is worth taking.

I only want to go in-house. How should I run my search?

No legal recruiting shop has all of the in-house jobs. In fact, because we have to be engaged by a client to have an in-house role, most legal recruiters only have a handful of in-house roles at any given time, and those roles tend to have very narrow parameters for what the company is looking for.

Because of this, we don't recommend that you conduct an in-house search exclusively using one recruiter (which is what we recommend for law firm searches). Instead we recommend that you cast a wide net: apply for jobs, work your network, talk to your favorite clients or former clients...

If you’ve checked our job board and we don’t have your dream job listed, we recommend signing up for our newsletter and following us on Linkedin to learn about our newest in-house roles.

Do I really have to do a deal sheet? Fill out an LPQ?

Yes, yes, a million times yes.

We recommend all first year associates start keeping track of their deals from the get go - even just in the form of casual notes. It’ll make it much easier when you inevitably have to talk about what you’ve been up to for your entire career.

And if you want to be hired as a partner, you’re  going to have to fill out an LPQ. But think of it as a form of interview prep; you need to be able to be able to succinctly describe your book and practice, and this terrible Excel sheet that law firms call an LPQ will help you organize your thoughts.

Is there a secret cabal of recruiters that gains power by spamming me with jobs I don’t want?

There might be, but we haven’t been invited to join.

The secret that the legal recruiting industry doesn't want you to know? We all have the same database of law firm jobs and attorney contacts. What differentiates our recruiters is our knowledge of  tech and startup industries, and our winning personalities. We hope that our selective email outreach embodies that, and hopefully isn't too much of a nuisance.

If you don’t enjoy learning about the most interesting jobs in law, let us know and we’ll take you off our lists.

Who’s your ideal client?

While we primarily focus on tech and startup attorneys, we actually represent attorneys from across the spectrum. And if they happen to have great credentials or a big book, we won’t complain.

Instead of focusing on regions or seniority levels, our recruiters tend to focus on practice areas and verticals. Need a fintech recruiter? We got you. Healthcare and life sciences? Ya we've got that too. Entertainment litigation? We've even got that.

 

Maybe I don’t even want to practice law anymore. Are you hiring?

Sean gets it. He left behind a glamorous life of doc review for an even more glamorous life of cold calling. And it was the best decision he ever made!

We’re always excited to meet people who want to hear about joining Whistler.

If you’re an associate who loves advising clients but hates writing briefs, a GC who’s sick of having to find a new gig every few years, or a retired partner looking to impart your knowledge, reach out to contact@whistlerpartners.com to learn about becoming a recruiter.6

Footnotes:

1) No we’re not talking about opening a winery. Don’t believe the hype - just because it worked out for Jess Jackson and Robert Parker (both former lawyers, btw) in the 70s doesn’t mean it’ll work for you now. Have you looked at property prices in Sonoma County recently?!

2) Our founder, Sean, was so shy growing up that he would make his little brother ask strangers what time it was. His little brother has a day job now so he doesn’t have time to ask questions for you.

3) True recruiter story: an in-house hedge fund client with incredibly high standards was looking to hire a litigator. After significant work and vetting of potential candidates, we gave them the 5 best candidates in NYC. The hiring manager responded: “they all went to great law schools and they practice at terrific law firms, but all 5 have jumped around too much this early in their career. Each of them worked for a judge for just 1 year and then moved on. Some of them had a job at the Supreme Court and only stayed for a year!” The point of the story? Sometimes in-house employers need a little help from us to understand why your resume is so great. So if you can have us advocate for you at a job, take the help.

4) Scenario 1: Friend who was really funny and popular in law school is now a terrible attorney and not well regarded at his firm. You’re forever blacklisted by association. Scenario 2: Friend goes above and beyond to get you the interview and help prep you. You hate the partner you’ll be working for and your friend gets burned in the process. Scenario 3: Friend turns in resume recommending you. Crickets… did they secretly sabotage you? Paranoia grows. Scenario 4: Friend offers to submit your resume to recruiting because you already have offers at two other comparable firms. Crickets… and time runs out on your other offers. Scenario 5: Friend calls you disappointed after you turn down the offer they helped you get. You later learn through mutual friends that friend is still given shit by the corner office managing partner about you turning down the offer. Friend never invites you to Friendsgiving again. Scenario 6: Friend says “I get a big referral fee if you give me your resume.” Crickets… Two months later you see on LinkedIn that friend accepted an in-house job. Their firm has never heard of you. Scenario 7: Friend was never a friend. You get nothing.

5) Not only has LeBron stuck with his one agent his whole career, he kind of even opened his own agency (ok, he doesn’t have an ownership stake in Klutch, but just saying…)! Disputes between agents and promoters are always ugly and nobody wins.

6) Unrelated to anything but our marketing department made us do this for SEO. Here’s every key word that a lawyer or hiring manager might search for: career advice, law firm rankings, partner profits, biglaw jobs, ignoring recruiter calls, law firm culture, nicer law firms, boutique law firms, burnout, how to go in-house, in-house jobs, legal news, law firm news, legal gossip, legal scandals, blawg, lateral move, switch practice areas, tech law, startup law, cannabis law, associate salaries, associate bonuses, partner salaries, how to originate, partner bonuses, general counsel salaries, in-house counsel salaries, in-house bonuses?, in-house pay cut, does life get better if you go in-house?, billable hours, 2200 hours, 2400 hours, 3000 hours, work-life balance, how to get partners to stop emailing at 3am, how to get associates to respond to emails at 3am, work less and make more, easy money, free money, law school loan forgiveness, lawyers with a personal life, dating for lawyers, attractive lawyers, attorney pool party, quitting law