Take Your Career to the Next Level with Macrae
Macrae is an ambitious firm. We’ve grown a lot in recent years and we’re not finished. But we don’t just hire to get bigger - we hire to get better.
Macrae’s diverse and highly collaborative transatlantic team includes some of the most talented people working in the legal recruiting field today. Everyone who joins contributes in a concrete way to our success and makes us more, well, Macrae. Will you be our next new colleague?
Team Members On What Makes Macrae Unique
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Rachel Nonaka | Partner | Washington, D.C.
“Macrae’s magic sauce is that we maintain and cultivate a ‘small business’ culture while conducting business at the very top of the market. This small business mentality is evidenced daily in staff meetings and internal emails, where it’s clear that that we care about and know one another. We wish our colleagues happy birthday, cheer when placements are made, openly share stories of our heritages in the “personal profile” presentations we take turns giving, and support prioritizing family obligations, including with excellent benefits such as parental leave and back-up childcare.
‘Teamwork’ isn’t just a buzzword at Macrae; we collaborate closely and share joy in each other’s success. This culture is bolstered by our well-known success as a recruiting firm. Our elite international law firm clients come to us because they consistently receive excellent service, and the same can be said about the high-level partners we represent. It’s rare to find a business that is as profitable and well-regarded in their space, while maintaining core values.”
You can learn more about Rachel’s career path here.
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Ryan Bordon | Knowledge Manager | Palo Alto
“Prior to joining Macrae I had extensive administrative experience at law firms, but despite performing at a high level in each position, I knew that I could handle more responsibility and contribute more significantly than I was being allowed to do. While the recruiting field was new to me, Macrae has offered me an alternative avenue to exhibit my passion for law while still utilizing the skillsets I’d honed in previous roles.
Here I’ve been encouraged to carve out a space for myself to do and learn more – I’m now developing my own career roadmap according to my own life plan. This is because Macrae has equipped me with the skills to think bigger, achieve more and understand what it means to be successful both professionally and personally. For me, that kind of growth is invaluable.”
You can learn more about Ryan’s career path here.
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Suzy O'Keefe | Managing Director | London
“I’d describe Macrae’s culture as ‘special.’ I have never experienced nor heard of anything like it elsewhere. It feels like you are part of a family where everyone ‘has your back’ and wants you to succeed. Whilst we are all different in terms of backgrounds and personalities, the commonality is a supportive, open and friendly approach. Our candid weekly office and company-wide meetings are a good example of this; I always find them to be enjoyable, inspiring and productive. We learn what everyone firmwide is working on and the developments and trends they’re seeing in their markets. At Macrae, we are a team in the truest sense of the word.”
You can learn more about Suzy’s career path here.
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Julisa O'Boyle | Data & Research Manager | London
“What makes Macrae incredibly unique for me is the sense of recognition across the firm that every role contributes to our success, from fee earning to support. Macrae’s focus on collective intelligence as a cultural cornerstone means we all get a seat at the table when discussing day-to-day business and strategy, so that we each know how we can use our role and expertise to deliver the best possible results for our clients.”
You can learn more about Julisa’s career path here.
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Lauren Drake | Partner | Washington, D.C.
“At Macrae we really do bring the very best of our entire firm to each candidate and client. I love that we take pride in the exceptional service we provide at every turn. I also love working with colleagues who are so bright, energetic, interesting, and committed to excellence like I am. I believe the tremendous value we place on the latter truly sets us apart.
When I joined the firm several years ago, I found the culture of recruiters openly communicating detailed intelligence on a daily basis and helping each other to be wildly different, refreshing and a real advantage. Not only does it make our work much more fun, but it also means our candidates and clients get far better service.
The significant investment Macrae makes in knowledge management is also unique. The firm’s leadership and my fellow recruiters recognize what a vital role this talented team plays – that we simply couldn’t achieve the same results without them.”
You can learn more about Lauren’s career path here.
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Sara Anderson | Fee Agreement Coordinator & Operations Administrator | San Francisco
“One reason I was drawn to Macrae is that the firm places a high priority on being fair and transparent, from paying above-market salaries and generous bonuses to members of the Knowledge Management team to doing so in an equitable way that ensures there is no salary-related competition among colleagues.
Management and recruiters at Macrae truly value our work. They continually express how important we are to the firm’s success, which I know isn’t always the case in our industry. I also enjoy our unusually high degree of collaboration across offices. We work together closely, truly like one another and celebrate every placement a recruiter makes because each one benefits us all.”
You can learn more about Sara’s career path here.
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Eleonora Wäktare | Partner | London
"Key to enjoying my work at Macrae is the high degree of professionalism everyone exhibits. Ours is a driven and hard-working environment, yet a friendly and fun one. As a recruiter, I have significant autonomy to develop my practice while enjoying the support of my colleagues and of the phenomenal infrastructure the firm has put in place.”
You can learn more about Eleonora’s career path here.
Who We Are
Macrae has grown from our San Francisco Bay Area origins to become an internationally recognized elite legal search firm with offices in New York, Washington, D.C., London, San Francisco and Palo Alto. We focus exclusively on placing elite partners and groups into the world’s most successful law firms and helping these firms open new offices. Our recruiters, backed by the strongest team of knowledge managers in the business, place more partners into Am Law 50 and top 6 UK firms than any of our industry peers.
We’re not new — founder Joe Macrae launched the firm in 2001 — but in the last five years we’ve transformed into a very new kind of transatlantic recruiting firm. It’s one in which collaboration, knowledge-sharing and transparency across the firm are key. We continue to expand strategically, which means adding the brightest recruiters, management and support staff out there to our dynamic team.
Which is where you come in.
If you’re a high achiever interested in growing your career with a remarkably successful company that does things differently (and, dare we say, better) — including offering what we believe are the most competitive compensation and benefits packages in the industry - we’d love to talk.
The Benefits of Working at Macrae
Macrae is a “person-first, family-first” company. We have a strong ethical commitment to viewing team members as whole people with complex, dynamic lives in which work plays just one part. We are committed not only to being the best legal recruiting firm, but also the best employer. We believe that critical to achieving these goals is providing a variety of services and tools designed to help team members maintain a satisfying work-life balance and optimize their physical and mental health.
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Salaries well above the industry standard
Bonuses based on individual and firm performance
Annual contribution by Macrae to their 401(k) plan equivalent to a significant percentage of salary (regardless of the employee’s own 401(k) contributions)
Hybrid remote/in-office work schedule
Paid national holidays plus ample paid time off and sick leave
Excellent medical, dental and vision insurance fully paid by the firm
FSA plan
Disability (short- and long-term) and life insurance paid for by the firm
Option to enroll in a variety of other insurance plans (e.g., legal, pet, accident)
6 months of paid parental leave (plus an additional 6 months unpaid)
Emergency childcare support of up to 10 days per year
Employee Assistance Program that includes free counseling sessions
Monthly mobile phone fee reimbursement
Participation in our annual multi-day all-firm retreat at a beautiful resort in the U.S. or U.K.
In-person office parties and virtual all-company celebrations
Beautiful state-of-the art, centrally located offices with modern, ergonomically correct workspaces
Can you see yourself in one of these roles?
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The Associate Knowledge Manager (AKM) works in local teams and also as part of Macrae’s global knowledge management taskforce. An entry-level position with growth potential, an AKM’s primary functions are to help manage all database systems and provide backup support to all knowledge managers and their recruiters and teams. On a daily basis, AKMs:
Organize, store, and analyze a wide array of information (market intelligence, meetings notes, target lists, candidate details, etc.) to ensure that all employees have access to the most current data, while also safeguarding Macrae’s high security and confidentiality standards
Collaborate with and support other Knowledge Managers firmwide, facilitate meetings to implement best practices throughout the organization, and continually fine tune and improve our processes
Provide coverage when recruiters’ assigned Knowledge Managers are out of the office
Assist Knowledge Management team with large projects involving research/database entry
Maintain operations by following company best practices and proactively reporting needed changes
Desired Skillset
Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience
Experience in an administrative role at a law firm or legal/executive search firm is ideal (but not a requirement) — and a keen interest in working in and learning about the legal industry is a must!
Solid technical skills including advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (including fantastic Excel skills) and the ability to quickly get up to speed on new software platforms
Exceptional attention to detail and a passion for precision, acquiring new skills and continually improving
Excellent and highly professional communication skills both in writing and in speaking (in-person, phone, video)
Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment among an incredibly bright team of high-achievers and able to successfully set priorities and manage multiple deadlines
Exceptional customer service attitude and love of learning and continuous improvement
Self-starter, creative problem solver and a task-oriented worker with a mature attitude and sound judgment
Interested in learning more? Please send an email introducing yourself (and include your resume or a link to your LinkedIn profile) to Nancy Rogers at Nancy.Rogers@Macrae.com.
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The Knowledge Manager (KM) works in local teams and also as part of Macrae’s global knowledge management taskforce. A KM’s primary functions are to work within a team of assigned recruiters to drive revenue and optimize recruiting performance, and to champion the company’s initiative of providing its clients and candidates with a deep knowledge of local and global market conditions and dynamics by ensuring that recruiters are armed with the most recent market knowledge. Specifically, every KM can expect to:
Work with recruiters to figure out what reports, support, coaching, and reminders they need to optimize their performance
Drive business leads by researching market trends through Macrae’s database and other internet-based sources about candidates and law firms
Organize, store and analyze company data as professionally and effectively as possible, while also safeguarding Macrae’s security and confidentiality standards
Collaborate with and support other KMs firmwide, facilitate meetings to implement best practices and continually fine-tune and improve this process
Schedule meetings, interviews and video conferences for recruiters, clients and candidates
Provide administrative practice support to 2-4 Recruiters
Capture, record and deliver the information needed to facilitate the dissemination of market information to all team members, which includes coordinating and hosting team collaboration meetings to drive the next generation of new business
Prepare background materials for candidate and client meetings
Ensure all components of database research information including market intelligence, target lists, meeting notes, and other essential information remain current for purposes of conducting search activity
Run periodic best practices training sessions for the firm
Desired Skillset
Experience working at a law firm and/or in the legal or executive search industry
Experience supporting and/or interacting with C-level executives
Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience required (JDs welcome!)
Excellent technical skills including advanced proficiency across the Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to quickly get up to speed on new software platforms
First-rate written and oral communication skills
Exceptional attention to detail - you have a passion for precision
Thrive working in a fast-paced environment among an incredibly bright team of high-achievers
Love to learn and continually strive to improve and grow your career
Ability to successfully set priorities and manage multiple deadlines
A mature attitude, sound judgement and great problem-solving skills
Interested in learning more? Please send an email introducing yourself (and include your resume or a link to your LinkedIn profile) to Ryan Bordon at Ryan.Bordon@Macrae.com
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Managing Directors (MDs) represent high-performing law firm partners seeking to make strategic lateral moves to advance their careers. MDs introduce candidates to firms that best match their professional and personal needs, guide them through every step of the interview process, and help them secure attractive offers. The most successful MDs continuously invest time in building and maintaining long-term relationships with partners in high-demand practice areas who have material books of business. In addition, they develop and maintain relationships with members of the executive management team at target law firms, as well as with the partners and staff professionals most directly involved with lateral partner recruiting.
MDs form a team with their Knowledge Manager(s) to implement recruiting best practices. Day-to-day activities include performing appropriate diligence on candidates and firms, submitting candidates to firms, scheduling and preparing candidates for interviews, debriefing candidates and planning next steps, helping to manage candidates’ expectations on all fronts including compensation, and assisting in deal negotiations. Because success is in part a function of the accumulated expertise an MD may acquire or access about law firms and law firm partners, MDs at Macrae recognize that knowledge management is a key success factor. They diligently and comprehensively capture what they learn about law firms and partners in the knowledge management structures of Macrae.
At Macrae, MDs enjoy flexibility to manage their own schedule but must be available to engage with candidates based on candidates’ availability.
Desired Skillset
BA/BS required; JD or extensive agency partner recruiting experience strongly preferred
Presence/Gravitas: ability to work easily with very senior and highly successful partners and be perceived as adding significant value
High energy level: ability to comfortably juggle multiple balls; take initiative
Emotional Intelligence: ability to connect with people; empathetic; intuitive and highly perceptive of others needs and feelings; engender trust
Outreach skills: get through to potential candidates via warm and cold calls, emails, etc.; engage them; secure meetings
Communication skills: written – commercial brevity and style, Oral – competent and articulate; board room presence
Team oriented: collaboration orientation; global/transatlantic interest and understanding
Process Oriented: strategic in behavior; disciplined approach to utilizing databases and market intelligence
Examples of valuable prior experience: knowledge of law firms and the legal business, ideally as an attorney at a large firm; professional services sales success; experience with a well-managed professional service organization
Interested in learning more? Please send an email introducing yourself (and include your resume or a link to your LinkedIn profile) to Nancy Rogers at Nancy.Rogers@Macrae.com.
