When I decided to relocate to Chicago after practicing law on the East Coast for two years, I turned to my law school’s career development department for assistance. After revising my resume no less than ten times, I arranged meetings with alums from my law school who were practicing in Chicago to obtain more information about the Chicago legal market. After a few informational interviews, I found myself across the desk from a partner in a very prominent law firm in Chicago who gave me the one piece of advice that would ultimately land me the opportunity of my dreams: “stop wasting your time networking and go see Gary D’Alessio!” This partner explained that Gary is the best in the business at matching job-seeking associates with firms that are both a social and professional fit. Indeed, when this partner was a junior associate, Gary helped her find her current firm where she later made partner.

So, I headed over to Gary’s office for our initial meeting. During this meeting, Gary and I spoke at length about what type of firm I was interested in pursuing, what type of law I practiced and hoped to practice, my resume, strengths, potential challenges, and my timeline. Gary was very attentive and really understood where I was trying to go with my practice. I felt confident that he would be able to steer me in the right direction.

After our initial meeting, Gary insisted I completely rewrite my resume, which, according to Gary, was a law student’s resume. Gary and I spent hours rewriting my resume. Every descriptive word, formatting mark, and punctuation mark was scrutinized. Six substantive revisions later, my resume was complete and we were ready to initiate the search.

Within days of completing my resume, Gary generated a list of firms for me to consider. The list was based on the factors we discussed in our initial meeting. My resume was sent only to the firms I selected.

Within three weeks of Gary transmitting my information to the firms, I had five interviews. Before each interview, Gary gave me a packet of information about the firm and each of the interviewers. In most cases, the information was not available on the website or online. Gary even made himself available for mock interviews. In the end, I was thoroughly prepared for each interview and everything went very well.

In addition, throughout the interview process, I was consistently complemented on my resume. One interviewer said the layout of my resume and the manner in which the information was conveyed was the best he had seen.

One of the firms, Freeborn & Peters, stood out. The firm was the exact size I was seeking, extremely reputable, and an all around perfect social and professional fit. I received an offer within days of my final interview with the firm. Although firms continued to request an interview (because Gary continued to follow-up and chase leads), I removed myself from consideration and accepted Freeborn & Peter’s offer.

I do not know whether my experience was unique, but even if it was, I could not have replicated Gary’s efforts or achieved the same result on my own. From start to finish, Gary found me my dream job — in just under six weeks, and I could not be happier at my firm.

ANDREA D. SOMERVILLE, ESQ.
Litigation Associate
FREEBORN & PETERS LLP

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to express my absolute appreciation and whole hearted recommendation of the services of Chicago Legal Search — and Chris Percival in particular. In the course of my search for a new position I dealt with no fewer than 5 different legal placement professionals (headhunters :)). Although each of them had their own unique approach to the process, the ONLY one that went above and beyond simply passing along my resume was Chris Percival. Chris worked with me throughout the process to help me find the perfect fit for the criteria I had established, whereas other placement professionals had simply tried to force me into the positions they had available. One went so far as to tell me that it would be virtually impossible for me to find what I was looking for. Not Chris. Chris listened to what I wanted and lent all of her expertise and experience to helping me secure the ideal position. Chris began by providing suggestions and guidance on my resume and continued by providing background during the interview process and ended with helping me secure answers to my questions from my new employer. Chris is a wonderful person to work with and a tireless and consummate professional. I have already recommended her to several of my colleagues looking for new positions and will continue to do so. She is, simply stated, top notch.

M. NICOLE ODEN
Legal - Public Service
Accenture LLP

The decision to leave my first and only firm did not come easily. I had one previous experience with a recruiter that was immensely unsatisfying. The recruiter repeatedly made vague references to all of the candidates with credentials similar to mine that he had placed at “top firms” but, when pressed for details, he became awkwardly combative. Rather than devising a list of firms that reflected my professional values, he simply handed me a preprinted list of the twenty-five largest firms in Chicago and asked me to pick the firms that were of interest. After this experience, I tried to find a job on my own.

When I had exhausted my contacts at other firms, a friend suggested that I call Gary D’Alessio. My friend recounted his experience trying to find a job on his own, and insisted that he never would have landed his current job without Gary’s help. Skeptical of my friend’s effusive praise, I spent part of the afternoon researching Gary—I spoke with other friends about the recruiters they had used in making their lateral moves, surveyed the Chicago recruiting market and spoke with some contacts involved in lateral hiring at other firms. My research confirmed that Gary was the preeminent recruiter in Chicago, and I called him the next day.

After a few minutes on the phone with Gary, I understood why he is so highly regarded and knew that he would help me find precisely the kind of position I was looking for. Gary and I spoke at length about my professional experience and practice. Because he is a lawyer with several years of practice, Gary understood exactly what I described and knew the value it could add to another firm’s practice. He then suggested we meet in person.

Gary put me through the most exacting interview I had during my entire search. He also helped me craft a vastly superior resume to the one I had previously used. It was clear to me that Gary was more interested in my long-term career goals and professional values than he was in finding a quick-fix to my job search by placing me in a firm that might not be a good fit. In stark contrast to the other recruiter I met, Gary produced a narrowly tailored list of target firms. What mattered most was how well I would fit in with the firms and the value I could add versus whether the firm made the AmLaw 100 list.

What I appreciated most about working with Gary was his complete candor in assessing my lateral options. He was refreshingly blunt. Gary plainly told me which firms I had a realistic chance of success with and which firms were unlikely to consider me as a candidate. But, Gary’s pragmatism was counterbalanced by his encouragement and constant support when I decided to apply to firms we considered to be reaches.

While working with Gary, I felt as if I was his only candidate, and finding me the ideal job was his only priority. Gary was proactive and aggressive in developing potential job leads, scheduling interviews and following up with each firm after I concluded my interviews. It was an enormous comfort when I realized that Gary works “attorney hours”. Just as the practice of law extends past the hours of 9—5, so does Gary’s work hours. He was extremely responsive and I always felt like we were in this job search together. Every phone call was returned the same day and every email was answered, often within a few minutes. And just when I would begin to take things too seriously, Gary’s wry humor would put my job search in the proper perspective.

Ultimately, I landed my dream job. I moved from a respectable firm with a narrow practice focus to an elite international law firm with a highly sophisticated and comprehensive litigation practice. I’ve changed the focus of my practice entirely and now have the opportunity help grow my new firm’s Chicago office. I’m certain that I never would have been able to land my new position without Gary’s help.

SCOTT J. VOLD, ESQ.
Litigation Associate
STEPTOE & JOHNSON LLP

“Moving from New York and knowing very little about the Chicago legal market, I expected that my job search would be long and painful, and cause considerable stress. I began working with Gary D’Alessio and quickly learned that I was putting my future in the hands of a very seasoned, skilled and qualified legal search consultant.

Unlike other consultants with whom I have worked in the past, Mr. D’Alessio did not ‘disappear‘ after my first conversation with him. During my job search, he kept in constant contact with me and tailored his searches to exactly what I requested, including the size of the firm, my legal field preference and the firm atmosphere I wanted for my new position. What became clear is that Gary listened to my preferences and with his exceptional knowledge of the Chicago legal environment, he knew where I would be a good fit.

Throughout the interviewing stages of my job search, Mr. D’Alessio called to discuss—at length—a particular firm’s history, environment and culture, as well as his personal impressions of other candidates who had interviewed there previously. He asked me tough questions just like a partner interviewing me would. He mailed several packages of information about firms to me before an interview so I was armed with as much knowledge before walking into an interview.

Needless to say, my transition from New York City to Chicago went very smoothly—I secured several interviews within days of my initial conversation with Mr. D’Alessio, having never stepped foot in Chicago. All in all, I made only two trips back and forth from New York City and got the job I wanted on my second trip. Moving from out of state, I thought it would have taken me at least a month to find my ideal job. To my happy surprise, as a result of working with Mr. D’Alessio, the job search process took only two weeks!!!

I recommend Mr. D’Alessio to any attorney moving from out of state to Chicago. You will not find any legal search consultant who knows the Chicago legal market so thoroughly. He provides up to date information and extensive research about the law firms, is careful to secure interviews that correlate to your personal preferences, and keeps in touch throughout the entire process. In the end, I could not have placed my future in better hands.”

SAMERA S. LUDWIG, ESQ.
Associate
UNGARETTI & HARRIS

“Chris Percival was integral to my job search as I relocated from California to Chicago. I indicated to Chris early on that I wanted to conduct a focused search based on a very discrete set of criteria. Chris did just that. Given her vast knowledge of the practice areas, personalitites and cultures of the law firms in Chicago, she was able to present me with a focused list of options that truly fit the criteria we discussed. Throughout the process, Chris was always very candid, genuine, hard-working, responsive and personable. I highly recommend working with Chris Percival.”

ANDREA J. CUMMINGS, ESQ.
Associate (now Partner)
SIDLEY AUSTIN BROWN & WOOD

“The decision to leave my former firm was difficult, but the thought of conducting a job search in Chicago while continuing to practice in Indianapolis was simply overwhelming. Fortunately, I was referred to Alan Rubenstein by a friend. Alan’s knowledge of the Chicago legal market and the different cultures within various law firms was invaluable. The information and resources Alan provided gave me a competitive advantage and allowed me to negotiate a superior arrangement, but most importantly, he helped me select the firm best suited for my personal and professional goals. I have since referred several of my friends to Alan and they have each had equally rewarding experiences.”

ROBERT T. BUDAY, ESQ.
Partner
KIRKLAND & ELLIS

“After taking a brief hiatus from the practice of law, I was looking for a position which would enable me to enjoy a better balance between work and my personal life. I turned to Gary D’Alessio not only for his assistance in exploring opportunities for me, but to provide me with the counseling and guidance I needed. Gary’s personal experiences, familiarity with the Chicago legal market and timely knowledge of various opportunities ultimately led me to a part-time position at which I have never been happier.”

MICHELLE K. EPISCOPE, ESQ.
Associate
BURKE WARREN MACKAY & SERRITELLA PC

“Searching for a job in the Chicago legal market from outside the city can be a daunting task. Having a recruiter like Chris Percival, with her extensive knowledge, experience and familiarity with Chicago firms, is a must. Chris prepared me for each interview by providing written materials ranging from NALP forms to newspaper clippings to mid-level associate surveys. Most valuable, however, was Chris’ insight into the varying firm cultures and work environments. Her first hand knowledge was evident throughout the process ... In the end, with Chris’ guidance, I had confidence that the firm I chose was right for me.”

WARREN Y. NAKATANI, ESQ.
Associate (now Partner)
KATTEN MUCHIN & ZAVIS

“When I decided to relocate to Chicago, I knew that finding a job in the Chicago legal market from a different state was not going to be easy. I was blessed to have the opportunity to work with Chris Percival as I pursued my dream of landing an associate position with a major law firm in Chicago. Because I had very specific goals in lateraling to a top firm, Chris’ hands on approach in both identifying the precise fit for me and then preparing me for the interviews was crucial to my successful transition. Chris not only listened to what I wanted, but made the extra effort to figure out what I needed based on my goals. Her connections with and insight into the best firms in Chicago are exactly what one needs to break into such a tough legal market. I must admit I was ready to accept another offer when Chris convinced me she had just the right position and firm for me. I took her advice and have never looked back. Because of her dedication, knowledge and concern for not just finding me a job but rather finding me the right job, I can honestly say I am fulfilling my dreams. Without any reservations, I wholeheartedly recommend Chris if you are serious about finding the right firm and the right position for your long term success.”

DARRELL W. TAYLOR, ESQ.
Associate
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP

“I have enjoyed working with Chicago Legal Search in placing attorneys at Accenture. They have taken a genuine interest in getting to know more about the company and really understanding what we are looking for in our candidates. They have placed some great candidates over the past year, and I look forward to our continuing partnership in the future.”

SUSAN G. MARLOW
Enterprise Recruiting
Accenture HR Services

“Chicago Legal Search was very thorough about asking the right questions so that they could better understand the requirements of the position we were looking to fill. As a result, there was no time wasted in interviewing candidates that did not have the background or experience we were looking for, and in no time we had one of the candidates working with us. Chicago Legal Search was not only thorough upfront, but they remained actively involved throughout the entire process. Without a doubt, if we ever have the need to fill another position in this field our first call will definitely go to Chicago Legal Search.”

NORMA JEAN VALADEZ
SVP/Managing Director or Accounting
EDELMAN

“Chicago Legal Search not only understands our needs but also our culture.  They look high and low for those candidates that meet and exceed our criteria, while always conducting themselves in a respectful and professional manner.  Whenever there is an opening to be filled, Chicago Legal Search is the first search firm we call.”

MELISSA E. SPARGUR
HR Coordinator—Legal
SIDLEY AUSTIN BROWN & WOOD

“Chicago Legal Search has assisted us with our in-house attorney searches. Their recruiters quickly presented resumes of several exceptional candidates and assisted us throughout the hiring process. The attorneys we hired have been great additions to our legal department. We are extremely pleased with the results of our recruiting relationship with Chicago Legal Search.”

MARY E. DOOHAN
Group Counsel
MORTON INTERNATIONAL, INC., MORTON SALT

“Chicago Legal Search offers what we all want: high quality service with a personal, friendly touch.  Professionalism, integrity and responsiveness are hallmarks of Chicago Legal Search’s work with candidates and with employers.”

MAUREEN RYAN
Executive Compensation Consultant
HEWITT ASSOCIATES LLC

“Freeborn & Peters relies on Chicago Legal Search for more than mere resumes, we look to them for advice and counsel regarding individuals.  Chicago Legal Search consistently takes the time to learn and understand our firm’s special practice needs and goals, as well as our unique philosophy and culture, to help us achieve long-term, rewarding professional relationships.  There exists with Chicago Legal Search a sense of trust and commitment that is seldom duplicated by other professionals.”

WILLIAM N. HOWARD, ESQ.
FREEBORN & PETERS

“Chicago Legal Search has made a concerted effort to understand thoroughly our firm’s culture, business and hiring criteria.  We have been absolutely delighted with the caliber of attorney placed with us by Chicago Legal Search.”

GENE LEONE
Managing Partner
PIRCHER NICHOLS & MEEKS

“Chicago Legal Search filled 2 in-house counsel positions for us. We received prompt and professional service from CLS associates and very qualified candidates were always presented. CLS always makes sure the candidates are prepared for the interview, and know the culture of our company, and desire to live in a rural area before coming in. I anticipate future openings within the legal department as we are a growing company and I would not hesitate to contact CLS first.”

HEIDI T. MITCHELL
Director, Human Resources
ZIMMER, INC.

“Chicago Legal Search was able to deliver even with hard to find criteria for our in-house legal needs. CLS took time to fully understand our business and exactly what we were looking for in a great match, not just from a technical aspect, but also from a company fit. I appreciated their flexibility and consistency in providing top talent for our company in a timely manner.”

SARAH WAHLSTROM
Human Resources Manager
DYSON, INC.