Legal

Dean & Ling Executive Search has long standing relationships with partners of law firms, and in-house legal executives of large corporations.

Whether the strategic growth objective is via expansion of an existing practice or moving into new practice areas, Dean & Ling has a proven track record of achieving core business objectives by recruiting the appropriate partner or group of partners and its associated practice group.

Practice group and lateral partner recruitment together represent a successful growth & development strategy for our law firm clients. Dean & Ling Executive Search has worked closely with managing partners to seek out well-matched practice groups that are aligned with our clients, culturally as well as financially.

Case studies

New Office Start Up
Client Scenario: Our client, a successful Australian law firm previously operating on a ‘one-state’ basis, sought to enter the market in another major Australian city.
Our Brief: We were instructed to search for a start-up practice group within the property area, assist the group to integrate into the firm, as well as undertake further search projects to assist with growth of the new office.
The Result: The opening of the firm’s Sydney office was a great success. The firm has now achieved its goal of having more than a dozen partners across all major corporate/commercial practice areas, and its partners have contributed greatly to the further growth and development of other offices and the firm’s client base.

Practice Unit Search
Client Scenario: Our client was seeking to add a significant financial services practice to its portfolio.
Our Brief: To research and attract a high level, profitable and growing financial services practice.
The Result: We assisted the firm to import an entire team of banking and finance lawyers from another major law firm. Twelve months later, the team is contributing greatly to our client firm’s drive, energy and profitability.

National Search Capability
Client Scenario: Our top tier law firm client identified a need for special counsel and senior associate level construction lawyers, both back and front end, in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. 
Our Brief: Conduct executive search processes in each State with a view to finding suitably qualified senior lawyers in both the front and back end construction space within a short time frame.
The Result: Within six months, we successfully placed two senior lawyers with front end construction and infrastructure experience as well as two senior associate level construction litigators. These strategic acquisitions have assisted our client in maintaining their strong eastern seaboard profile within the construction and infrastructure space.

Accounting & Finance

Dean & Ling Executive Search has a depth of experience which includes the recruitment of accounting & finance executives within the commercial, financial services, government, not-for-profit and professional services sectors.  Our candidate sourcing methodologies incorporate complementary strategies of executive search and advertising, or a combination of the two.  Our experience, gained over a substantial period of time, together with our extensive list of market contacts, ensures a high level of effectiveness when recruiting permanent and interim accounting and finance executives.   

Our breadth of knowledge and experience encompasses roles at the Chief Financial Officer/Finance Director level and the specialist areas that report to them including:

• Commercial Management & Business Analysis
• Strategy & Corporate Development
• Internal Audit, Compliance & Risk
• Treasury
• Tax
• Business Project Management & Transformation
• Accounting
• Investor Relations

 We are also experienced in sourcing specialist client facing consulting staff for professional services firms.  Particular areas of capability include external and internal audit, tax, business services, treasury, corporate finance/advisory and insolvency/corporate recovery.  We have a proven track record advising top tier and boutique management consulting firms on strategy and process improvement mandates.

The following are examples of assignments completed by Dean & Ling:

GM Internal Audit

Group Tax Manager

Chief Operating Officer

Banking & Finance

Dean & Ling Executive Search has strong capability across front, middle and back office roles at the middle management to senior executive level within funds management including the following specific areas:

• Portfolio Management – equities, fixed interest and property
• Compliance and Risk
• Operations Management
• Product Management
• Business Development and Client Relationship Management
• Transition Management
• Quantitative Analytics
•  Investment Consulting

Case studies

Funds Management – Front Office
Client Scenario: Our client found themselves significantly under-resourced in its portfolio management team after experiencing exponential growth in FUM and new client mandates over a short time frame. They were also exposed from a key person risk perspective in both the equities and fixed income teams.
Our Brief: Source an additional portfolio manager for each of their equities and fixed income teams. Run a market research based executive search and advertised process for this area for the first time.
The Result: Our market research contacts, together with a national and international advertising sourcing strategy, identified two successful candidates to fill the positions. Due to the high calibre of candidates we provided, they hired an additional two people into the equities team and an additional person into the fixed income area. Interestingly, the fixed income executive was recruited from Switzerland. In addition, another identified search candidate was recruited into a quantitative focused product strategist role.

The following are further examples of completed assignments by Dean & Ling:

Institutional Business Development Manager

Portfolio Management Opportunities