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When Your General Counsel Seat Is Empty, Risk Doesn’t Wait.

 

When a General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer role is vacant, legal direction fractures. Regulatory strategy slows. Risk tolerance goes untested. Commercial decisions stall. Outside counsel spend expands – quietly and without internal counterbalance.

This is where the right search partner changes the trajectory. Princeton Legal Search Group partners with CEOs, Boards, and Chief Legal Officers to secure seasoned in-house legal leaders when the exposure is greatest and the margin for error is smallest. We combine institutional knowledge of your business with enduring access to undisclosed legal talent, delivering legal leaders who possess the judgment, credibility, and strategic discipline to strengthen the enterprise from day one.

Our work is fully embedded in the in-house legal market. We spend every day engaging with senior legal leaders and have built trusted relationships, acquiring the hiring insights required to execute high-stakes searches with confidence, transparency, and discretion.
It is this depth of engagement that leads those same leaders to rely on us when it’s their turn to build their own legal teams.

Since 1999, we have achieved a 100% placement success rate across every senior General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer search we’ve conducted, as measured by leaders who deliver impact to organizations navigating M&A, CEO transitions, market expansion, and increasing enterprise complexity.

The right legal leader reduces risk before it materializes. Our commitment is to secure that leader, with precision and certainty, the first time.

 

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In the News

Partner with Holland & Knight placed by Princeton Legal Search Group, LLC

In house counsel with IPS-Integrated Project Services placed by Princeton Legal Search Group

Vice President of Legal & Assistant General Counsel at Advocare is placed by Princeton Legal Search Group

America's Best Recruiters 2025 & 2004 NALSC * National Association of Legal Search Consultants
New Jersey Law Journal * The Best of 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016

What People Are Saying

Mary Clare and I connected to explore an opportunity as General Counsel of NYSCI, and she immediately demonstrated exceptional judgment and leadership throughout the process. She built a strong level of trust with the President of NYSCI and confidently introduced my candidacy, helping ensure it was received with enthusiasm. Mary Clare guided me through NYSCI’s interview process and committee structure with precision, ensuring I understood how to approach each stage. One of the most distinctive qualities of Princeton Legal Search Group, and Mary Clare in particular, is the depth of commitment to the search, the process, and the long-term success of those involved. I highly and enthusiastically recommend Mary Clare and Princeton Legal Search Group.

- Jessica Mastrogiovanni, General Counsel
New York Hall of Science: NYSCI

Princeton Legal Search Group was known to me through their work at the American Museum of Natural History, and I engaged them when we began the search for NYSCI’s first General Counsel. Since this was a newly created executive role, we needed a partner who could think beyond legal competencies and help us define the position’s shape, scope, and strategic impact.

Princeton Legal Search did exactly that. They provided insight into what a first General Counsel must bring to a museum environment, encompassing tax-exempt and regulatory requirements, as well as philanthropic, donor engagement, and governance considerations. The candidates they presented were exceptionally strong, each with the bench strength, judgment, and leadership capabilities to meet our needs.

Their slate was so impressive that our process shifted from whether someone could do the job to more critical questions of career trajectory, cultural alignment, and long-term fit.

We ultimately hired an outstanding General Counsel who is the right match for where NYSCI is today and has the capacity to grow with us as we evolve. Throughout the search, Princeton Legal partnered closely with us, providing debriefs after each interview round and guiding us through the offer development and acceptance process.

I highly endorse Princeton Legal Search Group for their strategic partnership, search expertise, and ability to identify and attract exceptional General Counsel talent.

- Lisa Gugenheim, CEO and President
New York Hall of Science: NYSCI

“David provided thoughtful and experienced guidance during a difficult time. His understanding of the market and his practical approach enabled the parties to come together and strike an equitable deal. I have, and will continue, to recommend the services of Princeton Legal Search Group.”

- Partner
Private Law Firm