Quality and Control: Seeing the Whole Picture with Ace Legal Recruiter Patty Morrissy

Legal recruiting is a delicate art form. Balancing career goals, personalities, compensation expectations, practice specialties and the idiosyncrasies of a firm requires a high touch and a discreet but shrewd nature. It takes years to develop one's network to earn the trust of colleagues in the tightly knit legal industry. Patty Morrissy has spent the last three decades doing just that.

Morrissy’s long-standing reputation as a trusted career advisor to the legal community spans both the public and private sectors. She started as a recruiting coordinator at Davis Polk, and it wasn’t long before Morrissy went on to work as the Chief Recruiting Officer at both Sullivan & Cromwell and Paul, Weiss – as a result, she has worked at three of the highest ranked firms in the country.

“Early in my career, I developed a sort of nerdy interest in understanding why recruits picked one firm over another,” says Morrissy. “I studied all the top firms in detail to better understand their strengths and weaknesses. Knowing how law firms and their practices have evolved over time into what they offer today is invaluable context for the candidates I represent.” Morrissy has worked on partner placements at the highest levels, and in doing so, has cemented her credibility in the industry. After establishing the New York Office of a Palo Alto based search firm, she launched her own practice in 2021 known as Morrissy Legal Search.

“Planting my stake and making my mark has been an important throughline of my career,” says Morrissy. “Establishing my own successful search firm is simply icing on the cake.”

Morrissy and her team make transformative partner-level placements for some of the most highly respected law firms in New York City – and more broadly including in Washington, DC, Boston, Chicago and California. Morrissy leads with an expansive understanding of the nuances and components involved in legal hiring – all things one must consider in order to make the right match. A member of the Lawdragon 100 Global Leaders in Legal Strategy & Consulting, she understands how law firms think and why they make certain decisions. She strives to obtain the same level of understanding with each and every candidate – ultimately setting the stage for enduring placements when the right candidates match with the platform best suited to their practice and personalities.

Lawdragon: Can you describe for our readers the types of services you provide within the legal industry and to whom?

Patty Morrissy: I place law firm partners, both individuals and groups, in top AmLaw firms. Eighty percent of my practice is based on referrals from my professional network, and 20 percent is based on specific, targeted searches where firms enlist my services. I also have experience with firm office openings and law firm mergers.

LD: Are there any trends you’re seeing in recruiting these days?

PM: The impact of the early days of the second Trump administration is enormous. Setting aside the Executive Orders targeting top law firms, the U.S. economy is weakened, and as a rule, firms are generally more hesitant to make investment hires in moments of uncertainty. However, two things are for sure: i) law firms are always focused on talent, and ii) as economic and political forces shift, hiring trends cycle. For example, the best firms may be less inclined to hire “up and comers” in the middle of an economic downturn simply for the purpose of strengthening their bench; but even during a downturn, firms will continue to invest in very strategic, transformative type hires, especially groups, and especially on the transactional side. In the current environment, in areas with weakened demand such as White-Collar enforcement, we know that cycle will change – it’s just a matter of time.

Even during a downturn, firms will continue to invest in very strategic, transformative type hires, especially groups, and especially on the transactional side.

LD: Of all the work you’ve done in your career, what would you say is the most interesting matter you’ve worked on for a legal client?

PM: After 40 years working at the top of the field, it is safe to assume I have seen it all. But surprisingly, this year – 2025 – has been the most interesting. My 2025 projects include working on an office opening, a 10-person group move, and a law firm merger. Because the legal industry has changed so dramatically in these past few years, it feels like the stakes have never been higher.

LD: Can you tell us about the 10-person group move?

PM: Sure, it involved client consolidation. One of my key law firm clients has a long-standing relationship with a pharmaceutical company, for whom they have handled matters in nearly every discipline outside of litigation. Because the company is frequently involved in litigation, the law firm wanted to better service that client by being able to offer “one-stop-shopping” while at the same time scaling their trial services offering, in order to better service other existing clients. So, I helped the firm hire a team of partners and associates who handle the pharma company’s trial matters – and the team benefits by enhancing their existing practices through cross-selling their services across their new firm’s broad client base. This deal was a home run for all parties involved. 

LD: What were the key challenges of successfully handling the deal?

PM: Group moves are challenging – at the end of the day, every team member needs to look out for their own best interests, so group members can easily splinter. Keeping all interests aligned is a key skill, and one I have honed over time.

LD: That makes a lot of sense. How did you first become interested in legal recruiting and how has your career evolved?

PM: I fell into legal recruiting after college – a wonderful woman named Janet Barrett referred me to Davis Polk, where I started my career. As first jobs go, I couldn’t have asked for more. The people were great, but more importantly, it was an excellent fit for me career-wise. I come from a big family with a healthy competitive streak – I like to win. So, the idea of helping win talent for a super elite law firm resonated with me right away.

I developed an interest in understanding why recruits select one firm over another. But when I first started in recruiting, law firm rankings, league tables and the like didn’t exist, a firm’s profitability was unknown – the only resource was a hard copy of Martindale Hubbell. I figured that by working at other firms, I would deepen my knowledge about how firms distinguished themselves. So, I moved on to work for two more of the very best firms in the world: Paul, Weiss and Sullivan & Cromwell. 

Over time, the notion of sales and marketing for law firms took on increasing importance, particularly with respect to recruiting. I loved working with marketing professionals to develop material intended to distinguish the most elite firms from their peers. As part of that, I studied all the top firms in detail to better understand their strengths and weaknesses. That learning carries through to my practice today. Knowing how law firms and their practices have evolved over time into what they offer today is invaluable context for the candidates I represent.

Throughout my career, I also discovered that I enjoyed “planting my stake” and starting something new. So, my career moves have involved launching new initiatives, whether it be redefining the recruitment role at one of the most elite firms in the country, or launching the New York office for a Palo Alto-based search firm, or creating a new hiring program for the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. Planting my stake and making my mark has been an important throughline of my career, and establishing my own successful search firm is simply icing on the cake.

LD: Why did you decide to go out on your own instead of joining or staying with another company?

PM: There are a lot of reasons. Mostly, it’s always been my dream to have my own company. I am blessed to team with a stellar colleague and very happy working in a way where I control the quality. Quality control is super important in the search business and can be sacrificed much more easily in the bigger companies.