David Schwartz

David Schwartz is Managing Director in their Partner Practice Group. He focuses his practice on representing attorneys and groups contemplating lateral moves, and representing law firms in mergers and attorney acquisitions. David is a strong advocate for his candidates and clients, and he serves as a trusted counselor and advisor to lawyers who are evaluating whether and how to move from one job to another.

David is an experienced recruiter whose diverse professional background affords a unique perspective to both his candidates and clients. David has placed dozens of partners at large- and medium-sized law firms across the Midwest. His candidates praise him for his knowledge of the legal market, for his sound, objective advice, and for his ability to understand and prioritize what matters most to them. Law firms appreciate David's ability to understand their strategic vision and to help them meet their lateral recruiting goals.

David began his legal career at Jenner & Block in Chicago in 1994, and he later worked for the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. In 1999, David pursued an opportunity as a baseball agent, eventually becoming executive vice president and general counsel of an international sports representation firm. David has significant experience as a contract negotiator, having closed hundreds of deals, including several player contracts worth tens of millions of dollars.

David brings the mindset of an agent to his representation of law firm partners. This means understanding each candidate's goals and market value, and working collaboratively to achieve the best result for the candidate – even if many times that means not making a lateral move at all. As an experienced negotiator, David also helps candidates maximize their value if they ultimately decide to make a lateral move.