Dan Mummery is still mad at his parents. His father was a doctor and, according to family lore, could have done his residency in San Francisco but chose Miami because he didn’t think his car would make it to California. So Dan had to wait until he was 40 to finally get himself and his family to California, where he found three of his greatest passions– attending San Jose Sharks games, playing tennis year round and skiing with his kids (favorite ski resort, Whistler, duh).
But the wait was worth it. Dan had the very good fortune to spend the first 12 years of his legal career in New York at a top-notch Wall Street firm and then practice for 20 years in Silicon Valley, retiring from Gibson Dunn in 2019, where he was the Co-Chair of the Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Transactions Group and served as a Hiring Partner and was a member of the firm’s Hiring Committee.
As someone who faints at the sight of blood, Dan knew he wasn’t going to be a doctor. Armed with a history degree and a liberal arts education and with a love for words (Dan’s favorite book in high school was the OED), law school was a no-brainer. After having spent over 30 years as a BigLaw lawyer and a partner at some of the best law firms in the world, Dan can provide candidates with a deep perspective on a wide range of law firm models, compensation structures and cultures. As a former hiring partner at two Am Law 100 law firms and a lateral partner, Dan understands the recruiting process inside and out from both the candidate’s and the firm’s perspectives.
Why become a recruiter? And why Whistler?:
"Sean kept calling me with cool jobs. I kept referring him people. I retired. I kept referring people to Sean. Sean pointed out that I would make more if I just represented the person myself. I said good point, and here we are."
Movie that was secretly about him:
"Argo." (No one at Whistler understands this reference, hence we put it on the website and told Dan never to explain it. Oh the mystery!)
Favorite historical period:
"The Renaissance."
Renaissance: a rebirth or a revival or renewed interest in something, an awakening. Come on, what did you expect from a liberal arts guy?
"After a long and rewarding career as a law firm partner, I joined Whistler to help smart, accomplished, curious lawyers have a renaissance moment and think critically about their careers. Maybe you are 100% happy and satisfied. Life couldn’t be any better. If so, good for you. If not, we should talk."
