Executive search
Legal & Contracts Professionals
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters starts with the work behind this request: Legal work in a company splits between people who give legal advice and people who manage the paper and process around it. A contract attorney or in house counsel reviews, advises and drafts, and carries professional responsibility.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
You have a business to run.
Hiring a senior person yourself takes time you do not have. Here is what we hear from owners and hiring managers every week.
Not sure if you need interim or fractional? Use the decision helper
- The seat is open and the work is piling up on you.
- A job posting brings in hundreds of resumes and none of them have done the job.
- You do not have weeks to screen, chase and schedule.
- You need to know the person can do it before they start, not after.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
Legal & Contracts Professionals titles we fill
Titles with a page link through to it. The rest are titles we also fill; choose one and we pass it to the form with your request.
- Contract AttorneyHire a skilled Contract Attorney to handle discrete legal matters. We ensure specialized experience and immediate practice readiness for your team.
- Contract In-House CounselHire contract in-house counsel to manage overflow work, regulatory compliance, and transaction closings without adding permanent headcount.
- Contract ParalegalSpecialist search for Contract Paralegal. Discuss the scope, relevant experience and several vetted options. No fee unless you engage someone we present.
- Interim Contracts ManagerSpecialist search for Interim Contracts Manager. Discuss the scope, relevant experience and several vetted options. No fee unless you engage someone we present.
- Interim Contracts AdministratorHire an interim contracts administrator to manage document production, entity records and compliance tasks without training or onboarding delay.
- Contracts AdministratorHire an interim contracts administrator to manage document production, entity records and compliance tasks without training or onboarding delay.
- Contract eDiscovery SpecialistEngage a contract eDiscovery specialist to manage document processing, review platforms and data production for high-volume legal matters.
- eDiscovery SpecialistEngage a contract eDiscovery specialist to manage document processing, review platforms and data production for high-volume legal matters.
- Corporate ParalegalFind a corporate paralegal to manage your entity filings, minutes and board records. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
- Litigation ParalegalLitigation Paralegals manage discovery, prepare filings, and track trial deadlines. Find specialists who execute complex case procedures immediately.
- Legal AssistantHire specialized legal assistants for corporate, litigation, or real estate teams. We vet for document accuracy, e-filing expertise and tool fluency.
- legal assistantHire specialized legal assistants for corporate, litigation, or real estate teams. We vet for document accuracy, e-filing expertise and tool fluency.
- Interim Commercial ManagerAn interim commercial manager handles end-to-end contract drafting, negotiation and lifecycle maintenance to protect your commercial interests and compliance.
- Subcontracts ManagerHire a subcontracts manager to oversee subcontractor agreements, flowdown requirements, and change management. Ensure compliance and protect your firm.
- subcontracts managerHire a subcontracts manager to oversee subcontractor agreements, flowdown requirements, and change management. Ensure compliance and protect your firm.
- Lease AdministratorFind a lease administrator to track portfolio obligations, manage rent payments, and ensure compliance with complex commercial lease terms.
- lease administratorFind a lease administrator to track portfolio obligations, manage rent payments, and ensure compliance with complex commercial lease terms.
- records managerHire a records manager who controls information governance and ensures document compliance. We vet candidates for legal tool fluency and data integrity.
- legal project managerFind a legal project manager to oversee document lifecycles and matter schedules. Learn how to verify technical fluency and project management results.
Hiring guides
Not sure which title fits? Describe the seat in the form and we will match it.
Related roles
Executive roles above this family
Lawyers, paralegals and contract administrators
Legal work in a company splits between people who give legal advice and people who manage the paper and process around it. A contract attorney or in house counsel reviews, advises and drafts, and carries professional responsibility. A paralegal supports with research, preparation, filings and organization. An interim contracts manager or administrator runs the contract lifecycle: intake, review routing, signature, storage and obligations tracking. An eDiscovery specialist handles electronic evidence in disputes.
The distinction matters. Only a licensed attorney can give legal advice, and a brief that asks a contracts administrator to do so is asking for trouble. Equally, asking an attorney to file and chase signatures wastes expertise.
Tell us where the work sits: advice, process or evidence.
Manager or professional
An interim contracts manager owns the function. They set the process, handle exceptions, train business teams and decide what needs counsel. An administrator performs the routine tasks. Without a manager, administrators are left making judgment calls that should be policy.
Contract attorneys and in house counsel work on matters. In house counsel looks at the business as a whole and advises leaders. A contract attorney is often brought in for a defined volume of review or a particular transaction. Both need a clear scope and a reviewing supervisor, if they are not senior.
Paralegals vary by practice area. Corporate, litigation, real estate and employment work each have their own forms and deadlines.
Technical and practice differences
Practice area matters more than title. Commercial contracts, employment matters, real estate, construction agreements and regulatory work each need familiarity with different clauses and risks. Subcontract management in particular is a specialist field with flow down terms, insurance and compliance requirements.
Jurisdiction matters. A licensed attorney in one place cannot always advise on law elsewhere. State where the law applies and whether the person must be licensed locally.
eDiscovery is technical: collection, processing, review and production, with attention to defensibility. Platform experience matters, and so does the ability to explain process to attorneys.
Where we source and how we check
We look at attorneys who work on contract between permanent roles, former in house lawyers, experienced paralegals, contract managers from several industries and review specialists. Contract administration pools include operations staff who moved into legal support.
Screening starts with credentials: licence status, practice area, systems used. Then we ask for examples. What agreement did you negotiate? What clause did you push back on and why? What system did you set up? For administrators, how did you handle obligations and renewals?
We look for careful writing, sound judgment about when to escalate and respect for confidentiality.
What legal work depends on
Legal work depends on the business supplying facts, deadlines and decisions. Contract review depends on commercial teams explaining their goals. Obligation tracking depends on operations reporting events. Discovery depends on information technology preserving data.
It also depends on authority. Who can sign? Who approves exceptions? Which terms are fixed? If these are unclear, even a good attorney will waste effort.
Tell us who the person works with and who decides. It saves negotiation later.
Briefing mistakes specific to legal
Common mistakes include asking for a legal person without naming practice area or jurisdiction, blurring the line between advice and administration, and omitting the volume of work. Another is not stating whether the person must be licensed.
Briefs often forget to describe templates and playbooks. If you have standard terms and fallback positions, say so. If you do not, say that as well, because the work will include creating them.
Finally, be clear about confidentiality and conflicts. Legal staff see sensitive facts. State access and reporting lines plainly.
Questions to settle before you brief
Describe the volume and type of documents in front of you. A pile of routine supplier agreements is a different task from a few complex negotiated deals. Say who sends work in, how it is routed today and where it tends to stall, so that a candidate can explain how they would organize it.
Add the tools you use for storage and signature, and whether anything is kept only in email or on personal drives. Records problems are common, and a person who expects them can plan time to resolve them.
Finally, say whether the person will meet counterparties or work only inside your company. Some professionals are comfortable negotiating by phone with the other side. Others prefer to prepare documents and leave contact to your team. Naming your expectation early prevents friction once live matters begin.
Questions
What documentation must I provide to initiate a search?
We require a clear outline of the specific legal function and the expected volume of work. Defining jurisdiction and required licensing status is essential before we begin.
How do you verify legal practice experience?
We interview candidates on specific contract clauses and past negotiation scenarios. We assess their ability to manage workflows independently and identify when to escalate issues.
Can I request candidates with niche industry experience?
Yes, industry-specific knowledge is a primary filter in our vetting process. We confirm relevant experience in sectors like construction or healthcare during our initial screening.
Is it possible to review candidates who are currently employed?
Yes, we contact professionals who are active in their current positions but open to new assignments. We prioritize discretion throughout the outreach process.
How should I handle sensitive intellectual property access?
We establish reporting lines and confidentiality requirements before introducing any potential hire. Access rights are determined based on your specific security and internal policy needs.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.