John Michael Associates - Contingent Placement

John Michael Associates
Contingent Placement

The Search Process - Contingent Placement

As consultants to the legal industry for 18 years, we have perfected a phased approach to growing practices in law firms and corporations. You benefit by working with a highly resourceful, creative and thoughtful team. Our hallmark is investigative discretion - allowing us to explore all avenues to obtain the best talent available.

Phase 1 - Making the Contact

Many candidates for placement who contact us are attorneys we have previously known and with whom we have kept in touch, or who have learned about us from others with whom we have worked. There are also candidates who have not been referred, but have read about us in the legal press or on the Internet.

Phase 2 - Information Gathering

If there are no conflicts and a candidate meets the necessary threshold criteria we can mutually agree to a representation. We then spend one or two meetings learning as much as possible about the attorney’s experience. We also develop a profile letter detailing the candidate’s background. We highlight accomplishments that will differentiate the candidate from others with comparable experience. We suggest firms with a possible fit, and the candidate decides which are to be contacted.

Phase 3 - Making Firm Contacts

We make phone contact with partners, recruitment coordinators or corporate counsel to determine their level of interest in receiving information on the candidate. If your contact wants to review more detailed information, we send material on the candidate. We also make recommendations as to how the individual could best fill the firm's needs.

Phase 4 - Managing the Busyness Factor

In today’s busy environment, finding talent can be disruptive, disjointed and time-consuming for both candidates and firms. Clients need a "middle person" to bring a deal to term. Our job is to gently prod, provide concise information, foresee and eliminate hurdles, and test the fit constantly.

Phase 5 - Adding Value in the Placement Effort through Due Diligence

To ensure value is added throughout the process, we balance the needs of the firm and the candidate. We represent the needs of the firm accurately to the candidate and present the experience of the candidate candidly to the firm. We uncover inconsistencies and discuss them with both the firm and candidate. We address perceptions and put to rest concerns. We ensure lingering questions are adequately dealt with. By doing so, we act as the catalyst for due diligence throughout the process - and enhance the firm’s and candidate’s opportunities for a lasting arrangement.

Phase 6 - Bringing the Deal to Fruition and Following Through

Just as we work throughout a deal to remove barriers that would keep the firm and candidate from achieving mutual goals, we also want to ensure our clients prosper after a deal is consummated. So, we continue our involvement beyond the actual placement. Through a continued liaison with the firm, we ferret out problems that may occur as both parties establish position and balance, and offer advice on how to resolve sticky points or issues.