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Looking for a lateral law firm move in London, or need advice, guidance or market intelligence? You’re in the right place.

Deacon is one of the leading legal recruitment teams in London and the name behind many ‘headline’ partner and team moves. Over the last 25 years our team’s reputation and stability has made us a trusted adviser to partners and lawyers at all levels.

Our consultants effectively act as an agent for the partners we work with, and we collaborate with them to find them the perfect fit at the best law firms in London.

We have unrivalled access to law firm decision makers and can often create opportunities and open doors which are closed to others.

As well as partner moves, our team advises on counsel, ‘day 1 partner’, senior associate and associate level moves, with an unparalleled network across the international legal market.

While we are experts focused on the London legal market, we offer a wider reach as part of one of the largest independent companies in the global legal recruitment sector and have advised on office launches, mergers and numerous practice group and sector-specific build-outs in the UK, Europe, Middle East and USA.

Recent Placements For:

Tax Partner

Akin Gump

Chair of International Arbitration Practice; Tax, Capital Markets, Technology & Media Litigation Partners

Cooley

Financial Services 
and Corporate Partners

Latham & Watkins

Technology Partner

Paul Hastings

Years of London Legal Expertise

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What our
candidates
and clients
think:

Natasha Kaye
Corporate Tax Partner, Akin Gump

Paul Deacon is an outstanding recruiter who has placed me twice over the past 10 years, in excellent roles. He has deep market knowledge, great contacts and a wealth of experience. His calm manner and practical approach helps make the process smooth and efficient. I highly recommend Paul to anyone looking for a skilled, insightful and honest recruiter.

Bevis Metcalfe
Partner, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft

I thought Gita was an excellent recruiter. She has a good handle on the market without being patronising or indiscreet. She was helpful at critical points – for instance she had some minor comments on my business plan and just made the tweaks herself which kept up momentum on the process. She is very likeable and, most importantly, I felt I could trust her. I would definitely recommend her.

Faye Jarvis
Partner, Macfarlanes

Scott helped me to move law firms as a lateral partner. He was incredibly supportive throughout the process and gave me some excellent advice on how to navigate some of the more difficult aspects of the move. It was a real pleasure working with Scott.

Mark Fennessy
co-head of the London Finance, Restructuring and Special Situations Group, McDermott Will & Emery

Paul Deacon is simply superb! Deacon provides a first-rate service which has been invaluable to building our restructuring and special situations practice in London.

Christopher Hitchins
Managing Partner, Katten

Dan is a real pleasure to deal with, and is someone you can trust. As a qualified lawyer himself he knows what law firms need in terms of quality, skill set and experience, but he also takes the time to understand a firm’s needs in terms of cultural fit, career progression and what success looks like. This helps to set him apart in his field and greatly increases the chances of him finding candidates for you who will be successful in your firm.

Partner
US Firm

Gita - Thank you for your support and advice in my recent move. You were great! I was genuinely surprised by your availability (even on holidays, nothing was too much trouble) and your sound advice. Importantly I was very comfortable you were looking out for my interests, rather than just trying to close a deal. You know the market very well, and I was really pleased to work with you, and am looking forward to working with you to grow the team here. Thanks again, for your hard work, your good advice and your personal touch. It's a compelling combination and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to a friend looking to move.

Grant Gordon
Managing Partner, Fladgate

In terms of intuition and just straightforward talking and honesty, Scott is at the top of the game and hence one of our go-to advisers.

Jonathan Jones
European Managing Partner, Squire Patton Boggs

I have known Paul since we were lawyers together many moons ago at Simpson Curtis. I always thought that he would make a better recruiter than a lawyer (that was not hard!) I am pleased to say that he and his team at Deacon have become a key provider of quality partners for our London office and I very much enjoy dealing with the team.

David Collins
Managing Partner, Business Advisory & Transaction Services, Charles Russell Speechlys

Scott has been an excellent recruitment business partner over many years. He strikes a great balance between keeping a process on track and at the same time being alive to the inherent sensitivities.

Darren Rogers
Real Estate Private Equity Partner, McDermott Will & Emery

I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Paul and the Deacon team over the last 15 years including my recent team move to McDermott. Paul and his team took great care to understand what worked for us as people as well as lawyers which is so important from a cultural fit perspective and handled the move with great empathy, patience and above all integrity. Congratulations on reaching this 25th anniversary and I know the future will be even more successful for you all.

Joanna Ludlam
Co-Chair Investigations & Head of Public Law and Crisis Management, Jenner & Block

Gita helped place me at my new firm. She was exceptional throughout. She took time to really get to know me personally and understand what I was looking for and became a trusted advisor to me during the process. Gita did not push firms or roles which she knew were not suitable and I absolutely trusted that she had my best interests at the forefront of her mind. She was not chasing the fee, but rather was determined to make sure that any move I decided to make was right and a huge success. And all the while she balanced professionalism with kindness and a great sense of humour. I cannot recommend her highly enough. I would absolutely instruct Gita again but the firm she helped me find is perfect so I very much doubt I will have the chance!

Lee Ranson
Chief Executive, Eversheds Sutherland

Deacon has been a pleasure to work with. They have been true business partners working with us in a number of areas – they have taken the time to understand what it means to work at Eversheds and regularly put forward exciting candidates who are a good fit for us. Scott and Dan have worked tirelessly on our behalf and have used their thorough knowledge of the market to bear great fruit for us.

Head of Finance
Leading international firm

Gita and Paul were a pleasure to work with. They combine excellent professionalism with a very deep and broad knowledge of the legal market. They are insightful and sensitive to the client’s needs, as well as using their knowledge and savvy to achieve the right result.

William Garner
Financial Services Partner, Taylor Wessing

I have known Paul Deacon for many years. He, together with Scott Lesner have a great knowledge of the market and excellent connections which gave me comfort when looking to move. I felt like I was in very capable hands.

Elliot Beard
Partner, Simmons & Simmons

Gideon is a first class recruiter. He knows the market, is well connected and is discreet. Someone to be trusted.

Finance Partner
Gowling WLG

Hugo is polite, professional and above all, a delight to work with. Hugo has a genuine and detailed understanding of the market, and how practices and firms differ. Moreover, he takes the time to get to know a candidate to ensure that their desires and aspirations are aligned with those of a future employer and the role available – he genuinely cares that you find the right fit.

Harsha Goel
Corporate Associate, Dorsey & Whitney

I had the distinct pleasure of working with Harry throughout the entire recruitment process where I moved from an overseas legal market to London. He helped me secure a position as a corporate associate in the London office of a US firm. Harry has his finger on the pulse of the London legal market's recruiting trends which is evident through his invaluable guidance during the interview and shortlisting phase. Highly approachable and collegiate, Harry goes the extra mile to accommodate one's busy schedule. I highly recommend getting in touch with Harry if you are keen on exploring potential lateralling opportunities.

Uche Eseonu
Associate, Paul Weiss

I recently worked with Gideon who assisted me in my move to a US law firm. I wasn’t looking to move when he initially approached me, but he was very targeted & different from the usual volume of recruiter calls and messages I was getting at the time. Gideon was patient, helpful and insightful and clearly has a wealth of experience. I would have no hesitation in recommending Gideon - thanks again!

IP & Tech Lawyer
US firm

Gideon is an exceptional legal recruiter. Gideon contacted me at a time when I was not actively looking to make the move across firms. As an opportunity arose, Gideon provided the support and encouragement needed to assist me through the interview process and the steps to make the move to a new firm. Gideon's knowledge of the industry and personable approach was greatly appreciated throughout the process. I would highly recommend Gideon to anyone looking to make a move or interested in hearing about opportunities in the legal market.

Jessica Sutherland
Projects Associate, Dentons

Harry was fantastic to work with at every stage of the recruitment process - from giving me tips on how to polish my CV to helping me find the perfect opportunity at a new firm. Harry's knowledge of the legal industry and the recruitment process is incredible, and he always has time for his clients when they need it. I would absolutely recommend him.

Gavin White
M&A and ECM Associate, Travers Smith

I had a great experience working with Harry. He provided excellent advice and support throughout the recruitment process. Harry was excellent in providing market insights and had a thorough understanding of the roles and the culture of firms.

Associate
Silver Circle firm

Would highly recommend Gideon to anyone looking for a move, in particular any Irish lawyers looking to make the jump from Dublin to London. Gideon was great at listening to what I was looking for in a move and then suggesting the most suitable firms. The whole process was smoother than I could have imagined and Gideon was a great help with interview prep as well as arranging any interviews and speaking with prospective firms. He took a genuine interest in helping me find the right move and from start to finish provided a great service.

Ed Brown-Humes,
Associate, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

I messaged Harry on LinkedIn after seeing him post a role that I was interested in. After an initial call, it was clear that he understood exactly what my goals were with my job search and he only ever suggested roles that were relevant. Harry always had time to speak on the phone to discuss roles and prep me for interviews, and his guidance at the offer stage was extremely helpful. He is genuinely invested in the candidates that he works with and, most of all, he’s an incredibly nice guy!