Lateral Link

M&A & corporate · AmLaw + elite boutiques

A recruiter who knows the deal market.Not just the job board.

I practiced in BigLaw at Weil and Finnegan before I recruited.

I place M&A and corporate associates, counsel, and partners at AmLaw firms and the boutiques winning the biggest deals. Every conversation is confidential, and I only move when the move is right for you.

Book a Confidential Call

15 minutes. Completely confidential. Firms pay my fee, never you.

Steven Rushing, legal recruiter for attorneys at AmLaw 100 firms and elite boutiques
$4.8T
Global M&A value, 2025
+36%
Deal value growth vs. 2024
$0
What you ever pay
Weil · Finnegan
Where I practiced

Who I work with

The deal market has roared back. Global M&A reached $4.8 trillion in 2025, up 36% and the second highest total on record, as private equity put years of sidelined capital to work. Firms are reloading their corporate ranks and hiring selectively for proven deal experience.

Associates

Roughly 3 to 7 years

The strongest demand is right in the middle of the class. Firms want associates with at least three years who can step onto a live deal team and contribute right away. The most sought after experience is public company M&A, private equity buyouts, and work with emerging companies.

Counsel & senior associates

Deal leaders

Weighing a stronger deal pipeline, a clearer partnership track, or a platform with more rate flexibility? I'll give you an honest read on which corporate groups are actually growing and which are treading water.

Partners & groups

Including team moves

Top firms are paying up for proven dealmakers as deal flow rebounds. Origination, conflicts, and rate posture all get negotiated, and group moves are reshaping the league tables.

If you run deals at an AmLaw firm or a corporate boutique, whether you're an associate, counsel, or partner, you're exactly who I work with.

Most recruiters have never done your job. I have.

Before I recruited attorneys, I was one. I spent six years as a BigLaw associate at Weil and Finnegan, so I know what a 2,200 hour year feels like, how firms think about fit, and what it's actually like to sit on your side of this decision.

That’s the difference between a recruiter who forwards your resume and one who advocates for your career.

  • I know which platforms are actually building

    Some firms are aggressively expanding their corporate and private equity benches; others are quietly pulling back. I track who's hiring, who's paying up, and where a strong deal record gets the most leverage, so you don't waste a move.

  • I read a deal sheet the way a partner does

    I practiced in BigLaw before I recruited, so I can frame your transaction experience, the deals you ran, the diligence you led, the closings you managed, so firms evaluate you on substance instead of keywords.

  • Total discretion, start to finish

    Our conversations stay between us. Your materials don't move without your written permission for each and every opportunity.

Why work with a recruiter at all

If you’re searching from firm careers pages and LinkedIn, you’re seeing the visible market. The moves worth making usually happen in the part you can’t see.

Access to what’s never posted

A large share of lateral openings, especially at the partner level and the top firms, are filled through direct recruiter outreach and never hit a job board. From LinkedIn alone, you see a fraction of what’s open.

Market intelligence you can’t get alone

Who’s actually hiring in your practice, what comparable candidates are getting in offers, and which “stable” firms are quietly contracting in your group.

Credible advocacy

A submission introduced by a trusted recruiter lands very differently than the same resume sent cold. I frame your story so you’re evaluated, not filtered.

Negotiation cover

I push on comp, title, and terms so you don’t have to do it across the table from your future partners, and I know what’s realistic to ask for.

A simple, confidential process that respects your time

Three steps, no pressure, and an honest read from someone who has been on your side of the desk.

Step 01

Confidential call

A 15 minute call to understand where you are, where you want to go, and what you’re not willing to compromise on.

Step 02

Targeted shortlist

A curated set of roles matched to your practice, trajectory, and lifestyle, with specific reasoning on why each one fits.

Step 03

Direct advocacy with decision makers

I take your materials straight to the hiring partner and frame your story so you’re evaluated, not filtered. Then I coordinate interviews, prep you for each step, and negotiate terms.

Ready to see what’s out there? It starts with one call.

Book a Confidential Call

It's structure, not effort

If your deal pipeline is slow, the problem isn't your effort.

A slow stretch isn't always on you. If your firm isn't winning the deals, there's no live deal team to staff, no matter how strong your closings have been. Idle months start to read like underperformance when they're really structural misalignment.

By the time it's obvious, you've lost a year of deal reps you can't get back. A platform with real deal flow fixes in weeks what staying can't fix at all.

Anonymized placement stories

Details are changed to protect confidentiality, but the moves are real. Here is how a corporate search actually plays out.

M&A & corporate

5th year M&A associate, AmLaw 50 firm, public company deals

The challenge

Had run big pieces of large deals but never owned one end to end. The firm's staffing model kept senior associates in specialist lanes, so partnership looked distant despite strong reviews. A structure problem, not an effort problem.

The solution

We matched for deal ownership and a clearer partner track, not just brand, targeting corporate groups known for giving senior associates real client contact and lead roles. The search stayed fully confidential from first call to signed offer.

The outcome

Placed at a firm where the candidate now runs deals as the senior associate with direct client relationships and a two to three year partner path. Signed offer in roughly 60 to 90 days, with a comp bump. Zero cost to the candidate.

Real stories, real career moves

Hear how attorneys made their next move.

“I didn’t think this kind of role was possible for me. But it was.”
Neal M.
Associate, Appellate (AmLaw Firm)
“Steven understood where I was trying to go and built a path to it I couldn’t have done on my own.”
Casey L.
Counsel, M&A (AmLaw Firm)
“It felt discreet, thoughtful, and personal. I never once felt ‘sold.’”
Riley C.
Partner, Elite Litigation (Boutique)
“He prioritized my career goals and what was best for my family. His guidance on positioning my experience, interview prep, and offer negotiation were all excellent.”
Partner, Cyber
AmLaw Firm

Questions you’re probably already asking

What kind of corporate experience are firms looking for?
Targeted, deal specific experience wins right now: public company M&A, private equity buyouts, or work with emerging companies, often in sectors like financial services, technology, or life sciences. If you've led diligence, drafted key transaction documents, or managed closings, firms want to talk.
Do I pay anything?
No. Firms pay the fee, not you. Your cost is zero.
Will my current firm find out?
Not from me. Nothing moves without your written approval for that specific submission, and your identity stays confidential in early conversations.
Associates, counsel, or partners?
All three, plus group and team moves, at AmLaw firms and elite corporate boutiques.
What if I'm just exploring?
That's the right time to call. Fifteen minutes, no commitment, just a clear read on where you stand in a rebounding deal market.

Still have questions? Let’s talk.

Book a Confidential Call
Steven Rushing, legal recruiter specializing in confidential attorney placement at AmLaw 100 firms and elite boutiques
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Where I share candid takes on the lateral market, BigLaw moves, and what firms really look for.

About Steven

Before I recruited attorneys, I was one.

Six years inside BigLaw gave me a perspective most recruiters don't have. I know how partners evaluate laterals, how firms think about fit, and what it actually feels like to be on your side of this decision.

Nine years and hundreds of placements later, I focus on one thing: finding the right next role for attorneys who've outgrown where they are. Associates, counsel, and partners at AmLaw firms and leading boutiques across corporate, finance, and regulatory work.

The process is yours to control. I move at your pace, keep everything discreet, and stay focused on what's right for you, not just what's open.

“He listened, understood the dynamics of my group, and then introduced me directly to people who were relevant to my experience. I ended up with options that made sense for where I’m going.”— Associate, Corporate (AmLaw 50)