Press
The talk of the town.
Over the years, we've been asked for our take on the California & Pacific Northwest markets. See what we've had to say below.
The strategy behind a lateral move with Swan Legal Search
Chambers Associate, August 2026
Andrea Hartwell, Mindy Baggish and Bram Schumer of Swan Legal Search talk to Chambers Associate about how a lateral move actually works: why associates move, when the timing is right, what firms look for, and the mistakes that cost candidates offers.
BigLaw Grew More Selective On Second Quarter Lateral Hires
Law360, July 2026
BigLaw lateral hiring cooled in the second quarter of 2026 as firms became more selective, particularly at the junior associate level. Mindy Baggish speaks with Law360 about where Swan Legal Search continued to see activity and why small and midsize firms captured a larger share of placements.
A guide to the California legal market with Swan Legal Search
Chambers, June 2026
California callin’? From its incredible shorelines to its status as the innovation hub of the world, we unpack what makes the state one of the biggest legal markets.
The Top Law Schools for Legal Industry Jobs: A Data Review
Law360, May 2026
New American Bar Association data shows that BigLaw remains the leading first destination for graduates of many top law schools, while direct entry into in-house roles remains rare. Mindy Baggish speaks with Law360 about why companies generally look for lawyers who have already gained practical experience at a firm.
How Partners Can Be Proactive During A Law Firm Merger
Law360, February 2025
A law firm merger can create both risks and opportunities for individual partners. Jenny Swan Clearman speaks with Law360 about the practical steps partners can take to protect client relationships, understand the combined firm's economics and position their practices for a successful transition.
Why BigLaw Is Gutting Midsize Firms' Transaction Practices
Law360, May 2024
Transactional work is seeing a recent uptick and larger firms appear eager to grow their corporate teams. In this pursuit, as observed by Law 360 - a trend is emerging where larger firms are recruiting a significant number of corporate attorneys from within a firm, in lieu of acquiring these small and midsized firms in full. And these departing partners and associates are ready and willing to make the leap, seeing the career benefits in the jump. Jenny Swan Meyer speaks with Aebra Coe about the increase in corporate partner moves in 2024 (+32% from last year) and wagers the reasons why these offers may be so inciting.
Behind Benesch's Strategy To Add And Keep BigLaw Laterals
Law360, February 2024
AmLaw 200 firm Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aranoff LLP has leveraged hiring BigLaw talent to successfully expand into primary markets like San Francisco and New York. Senior Recruiter Carla Khalifa weighs in on the draws that brought in these BigLaw partners, and where others can take note - from the firm’s entrepreneurial approach, to maintaining a truly collegial culture within its offices and teams.
What Drove BigLaw To Flock To These 3 Regions In 2023
Law360, December 2023
California has long been established as a primary market for BigLaw. But smaller regions within the state - namely Orange County and San Diego - saw new BigLaw presence in 2023, among the reasons being client-focused presence and general geographic expansion. Equally, midsized firms found new roots in the golden state, but for more strategic purposes. Jenny Swan Meyer spoke with Law 360 about the motivations for firm’s moves to California this year.
Top Performers ‘Likely’ to Raise Associate Pay After Milbank’s Move, but Broad Hesitancy
Law.com, November 2023
Milbank's 2024 associate salary increase put pressure on other top firms to respond, even as the wider market remained hesitant to match. Zsaleh Harivandi speaks with Law.com about which firms were most likely to follow and why this cycle differed from the 2021 race for talent.
'The Vibe Is Changing': Flexible Firms Struggle to Get Attorneys on the Same Page
Law.com, August 2023
Back to work mandates continue to be an ongoing discussion in the legal hiring world. Some young associates are job jumping in an attempt to find a partial in-person work culture, while others are actively seeking firms with a more in-person culture. Lorraine Connally speaks with Law.com about attorneys motivated to get back into the office and be 'in the thick of things’, soaking up knowledge and experience that remote work simply may not deliver on.
Calif. Powerhouses Thrive Despite Deals Dip, Office Return
Law360, August 2023
The firms named as Law360’s 2023 California Powerhouses have engaged in many of the country’s most significant cases and settlements over this past year. On a personnel level, these powerhouses are strategically managing and hiring for their teams amidst an ever-changing legal landscape. Andrea Hartwell speaks with Jack Karp of Law360 about the shifting trends in California’s legal hiring market across practice areas, returning to the office, and seizing talent during firm layoffs.
Mid-Law Sees Opportunity In Cybersecurity And Privacy
Law360, July 2023
Carla Khalifé speaks with Emma Cueto about the growing demand for cybersecurity lawyers in California, as a number of the state’s midsized firms have begun establishing practices dedicated to it. “California has emerged as an epicenter for privacy, as the first state to pass data and privacy laws and set up a breach notification system.”
California’s Largest Law Firms Continued to Expand in 2022
The Recorder, July 2023
California remained the No. 2 locale among the nation’s largest firms in 2022, as large and midsize firms continue to gain lawyers in the state. Jenny Swan Meyer spoke with The Recorder about how the collective focus on growth in California has continued into 2023, and - despite slowdowns within practices like corporate - remains resilient for attorneys across all disciplines.
Small Law, Big Pay: Small Firms Lure Talent With Hefty Raises
Law360, May 2023
Recent data shows a narrowing pay gap between small firms and BigLaw, as these firms stay competitive by increasing their base pay. Carla Khalife speaks with Law360 about the potential implications small firm pay raises may have on the firm’s associates.
Smaller Firms Score Talent As BigLaw Downsizes
Law360, April 2023
As the nation's largest law firms conduct layoffs and scale back hiring, small and midsize firms are taking advantage of the moment to add big firm lawyers in increasing numbers. Jenny Swan Meyer speaks with Aebra Coe about the appealing alternative these firms now offer BigLaw attorneys affected by recent layoffs.
3 Ways Associates Can Rebound After a Layoff
Law360, April 2023
Slowdowns in corporate work for law firms have led to a series of layoffs in the legal industry in recent months, leaving a number of associates out of jobs. Lorraine Connally offers Law360 her advice to associates who find themselves between opportunities.
Why Law Firm M&A May Rebound In 2023
Law360, January 2023
An increase in law firm mergers and acquisitions was seen nationwide throughout 2022, with many speculating the trend continuing into 2023. Jenny Swan Meyer speaks to Aebra Coe about the benefits firms are gaining in these combinations, including geographic expansion and strengthening practice areas.
California Regional Firms Expect to Sell Talent on Stability and Flexibility in 2023
The Recorder, December 2022
Leaders at Second Hundred and midsize firms in California largely expect to avoid layoffs. Instead, they're in hiring mode. Jenny Swan Meyer speaks to The Recorder about the appeal of regional and midsize firms in today's economy.
Poised to Become World's 4th-Largest Economy, California Lures Second Hundred Firms
The Recorder, December 2022
"Midsize and Am Law 200 firms are going to shine in 2023," said Jenny Swan Meyer, a recruiter at Swan Legal Search. "This past year, we’ve seen quite a few mergers between midsize and Am Law 200 firms absorbing smaller shops. They're strategically and steadily growing."
Will BigLaw Follow Baker McKenzie's Lead On Bonuses?
Law360, November 2022
Baker McKenzie announced year-end associate bonuses on Friday, and as of Tuesday afternoon, there were crickets from the rest of BigLaw on whether they would follow the global giant's lead.
California Powerhouses Lead Hot Legal Market Facing Slowdown
Law360, August 2022
Law360's 2022 California Powerhouses have steered multibillion-dollar deals, defended technology and pharmaceutical clients against high-stakes litigation, and secured nine-figure trial wins amid a recently booming Golden State legal market that has abruptly slowed in the face of recession fears, according to experts.
California Powerhouses Leverage Top Talent in Legal Goldrush
Law360, August 2021
The diverse group of law firms selected as Law360's 2021 California Powerhouses have steered billions in mergers and acquisitions, represented tech and entertainment giants and shaken up the agricultural industry in a legal market that one expert said was "hot and on fire."
California Powerhouses Leverage Top Talent in Legal Goldrush
Law360, August 2018
The continuing growth of California's economy has fueled a legal gold rush across practice areas, from class actions targeting tech giants to deals and disputes in the sports and entertainment industries.
California Powerhouses Innovate with Tech-Oriented Clients
Law360, October 2017
In California, as the world’s most famous innovators blur the lines between sectors like media and tech and create new industries with new legal problems, nimble firms with the ability to be as creative as their clients at solving problems locally and globally rose above the rest.
Five Ways to Get on the Equity Partner Fast Track
Law360, December 2015
The path to equity partnership has kept to the traditional route over decades. But aggressive ambition alone will not clinch the position, as an attorney must also be able to work well with colleagues and earn the trust of his or her senior partners and clients.
Five Reasons You'll Never Make Equity Partner
Law360, December 2015
Even the best-laid plans sometimes go awry. Being a skilled, charismatic lawyer with the ability to win clients and dedicated to your firm and practice area are all steps up the ladder, experts say. But during the course of your career, any number of slips can spoil your chances at winning a seat at the partner table.
Law360, August 2015
Lawyers in Los Angeles are happier at work than their East Coast counterparts, according to a survey conducted by Law360, and experts point to lighter billable hours requirements and greater opportunities for associates to work with clients early on as reasons for the marked difference in job satisfaction.
10 Boutiques Giving Biglaw a Run for Its Money
Law360, July 2015
In a trend that has been developing for years, top boutiques continue to encroach on big firms' territory by blending the same high level of skill and expertise with a lower rate structure and greater client accessibility, analysts say.
Hiring/Staffing Trends in the Legal Market
Law Practice Today, September 2013
We held a discussion with a sampling of recruiting specialists to explore whether the current trends in the legal market will be lasting ones.
The Am Law Midlevel Survey is Out, and Associates Are Happy for the First Time in Years
Above the Law, August 2012
The annual Am Law midlevel associate survey came out yesterday, and for the first time in years, satisfaction among third-, fourth-, and fifth-year associates seems to be up across the board.
NALP Report: Salaries Fall for Recent Law School Graduates
Am Law Daily, July 2011
Lawyers a year out of law school have endured significantly less lucrative job prospects in comparison to those who graduated just a year earlier.
In Valley, Associates are Once Again in Demand
The Recorder, April 2011
Demand for Associates in Silicon Valley has grown tremendously particularly in corporate departments.
Recruiters See Increased Demand for Experienced Associates
The Recorder, July 2010
Law firms across California seem to be ratcheting up their associate hiring.
Pillsbury Poaches from Nixon in NY
The Daily Journal, June 2010
San Francisco based Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman has an eye on expansion evidenced Friday by the addition of at least 14 corporate and finance attorneys from Nixon Peabody in New York.
Hiring Law Firms Offer "Reverse Signing Bonus" Instead of Guaranteed Minimums
American Bar Association, May 2010
The most profitable law firms increased their lateral hiring of partners last year.
Lateral Hiring: Changing Expectations and Incentives
The National Law Journal, May 2010
Potential lateral partners take heart: Firms are still on the hunt for a few good men and women -- as long as they come with a hefty book of business that will goose the bottom line.
Half of Folger Levin to Join Crowell & Moring
The Recorder, October 2009
Three years after Folger Levin and Kahn transferred management to a new generation of partners the San Francisco firm is splintering.
The Daily Journal, February 2009
For the past year and a half Erwin Chemerinsky has been building his own field of dreams.
Laid Off Lawyers Often Subjected to Spin Cycle
Los Angeles Business Journal, December 2008
Large law firms are experiencing a slowdown amid the souring economy and they are sending their associates packing – some openly-others quietly.
In the Slowed Economy, Young Lawyers are Giving Small Firms a Second Look
The Daily Journal, December 2008
In the slowed economy - young lawyers are giving small firms a second look.
Recruiters Adjust as Law Firm Hiring Slows
The Daily Journal, November 2008
Gone are high-volume associate placements but the right partners are still looking.
The Reality of Associate Salaries
The Recorder, September 2008
The relationship between firms and their recruits continues to quietly evolve.
Layoffs & Legal Recruiters Confirm Associates' Hunch: It's a Buyer's Market
The Recorder, May 2008
According to California legal recruiters firms are spending more time now filling fewer open associate positions.
Law Firms Thin Student Staffing as Business Slows
Los Angeles Business Journal, April 2008
The economic downturn means that law firms are seeing less business.
Midsize Firm Overhauls Traditional Class-Year Salary System for Associates
The Recorder, January 2008
A midsize California firm is carving its own path.
Will Latham Trigger Family Leave Acts?
The Recorder, December 2007
Latham and Watkins announced a new parental leave policy for associates this week.
All's Too Quiet on the Bonus Front
The Recorder, November 2007
Weeks after top New York firms started announcing lavish special bonuses on top of the usual year-end handouts; firms in California have made no moves.
Los Angeles Business Journal, August 2006
The progressive reputation of LA belies its no-nonsense reality.
Law Firms Make a Case for Raising New Lawyers' Pay
San Francisco Business Times, February 2006
New associates seeing first raise in five years.
California Lawyer Magazine, August 2004
If you are not looking for a job should you take a call from a recruiter?
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
The Daily Journal, December 2003
Orange County is still a small business community giving young lawyers the opportunity to build a practice more easily.
The Daily Journal, October 2003
Firms and their employees need to work together to make the lifestyle of a modern lawyer compatible with the lifestyle of a modern parent.
Townsend & Townsend Plans San Diego Office
The Daily Journal, June 2003
Swan Legal Search assists in opening San Diego office of Townsend and Townsend and Crew.
California Law Business, August 2001
When contemplating a change, consider using a headhunter to get the most from your job search.
California Law Business, February 2001
Will the legal recruiting industry ever rein in the maverick headhunters with whom it has a love-hate relationship?
California Law Business, March 2000
Legal recruiters are rolling in new-found dough due to skyrocketing salaries for associates at major California firms. But some ask - will these good times last?
The Daily Journal, September 1999
Many associates just do not care if they make partner - study says.
The Daily Journal, September 1999
Many attorneys find legal recruiting a professional and personal fit