Building Relationships Across Continents, with Macrae’s Eleonora Wäktare

Eleonora Wäktare’s first placement as a legal recruiter was for a lawyer in Paris, while Wäktare was in London, for a U.S.-based firm headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Three time zones, two continents, one deal.

It’s a typical day for her.

Wäktare is a partner in the London office of transatlantic search firm Macrae, where she specializes in placing high-achieving partners with elite international firms. A former lawyer herself, Wäktare began her career with a clerkship at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg before moving to the European Antitrust Department. She then earned a master’s degree in European Law at the College of Europe, one of the earliest centers for legal studies in European Union Law. Upon graduating, she moved to Big Law, with tenures at WilmerHale and Covington & Burling focusing on EU antitrust law.

After spending time as case-handler at the Directorate-General for Competition at the European Commission, Wäktare left practicing law to become a legal reporter focusing on antitrust developments, where she built upon long-lasting relationships with key players in the competition space. Eventually, she found her way both to London and to her calling as a recruiter – where her practitioner’s knowledge of European law helps her understand her clients’ and candidates’ practice areas on a uniquely deep and practical level.

For Wäktare, relationship-building is both the most fulfilling and most vital aspect of recruiting. She prioritizes honest and meaningful connections with clients and candidates, aiming to create enduring placements. Naturally, then, she specializes in making placements in Brussels’ antitrust hub, where she taps into relationships she’s built over the years. But outside of antitrust, her network is diverse both legally and geographically; fluent in English, French, Swedish, Italian and Dutch, Wäktare has also made placements in corporate litigation, international arbitration, and private equity in Germany, Paris, London and beyond. With Macrae’s offices in London, New York, D.C. and the Bay Area, Wäktare jokingly – but fittingly – dubs herself the firm’s “European desk.”

That role offers a strategic advantage for the top-flight recruiting firm. Where Magic Circle and high-profile U.S.-based firms place their interest, recruiters follow. With an increase in both top-tier U.S. firms expanding into Europe and in lateral hires across the board, Wäktare and the Macrae team work together across markets, utilizing their communal international relationships to provide unparalleled service to law firms looking for a match, and to lawyers looking for a new firm to call home.

That idea of “home” is not lip service; Wäktare invests deeply in each candidate she places, prioritizing seeking out traditionally underrepresented candidates in diverse searches to find the best match for lawyer and law firm. “I think people can feel that I'm sincerely interested in helping them in their career,” she says. “We are working with people who are already very successful and doing really well, but to be able to contribute to make them do even better is very satisfying. It makes a difference in their lives.”

Lawdragon: You were a lawyer before you became a recruiter. How do you find that your experience as a lawyer influences your work today?

Eleonora Wäktare: I think the commonality is the fact that both are relationship-based businesses. To be a good lawyer, you need to be a good listener. Yes, as a lawyer you have to provide legal advice, or as a recruiter you have to provide potential new firms for people who want to move. But first and foremost, you need to listen – whether you’re in a law firm, listening to what a client wants, or working as a recruiter, understanding what a law firm or candidate wants. We also focus on knowing what we're talking about. We know the practice areas. We know what the partners do and we know what the law firms do so that we can provide the best possible advice.

LD: So, a listener – how else would you describe your style as a recruiter?

EW: I see myself as an honest broker. I think the lawyers with whom I work are intelligent and sophisticated. I don't try to sell them an opportunity at all costs. We discuss the pros and cons, and that’s the same approach I have vis-a-vis law firms when they ask me to help them with a search. I will speak about the different candidates in a truthful way. I think it's very important to behave in an honest and ethical fashion. I hear horror stories from candidates about dealing with recruiters. I'm not looking to move people every three years. For me, that's not success. Success is when a person says, “Oh, thank you for finding me my forever home.” So, I get lots of referrals from former candidates. I would say 20 to 25 percent of the people I work with are referrals from other candidates. And so it shows that they felt that I was working with them, accompanying them in their journey. I also get referrals from people who decide not to move in the end.

LD: That “honest broker” philosophy does seem to be a hallmark of recruiters at Macrae. So tell me a bit about working with the team there.

EW: We are very collaborative, and we do mean it. It's not just a nice word. We share information. We try to help each other out. There is this idea that by sharing information with each other, we are all better able to provide good advice to candidates and clients. What I love at Macrae is that everybody is very committed, very dedicated. Everybody wants to do a good job. Everybody wants to treat candidates and clients with respect. Yes, of course, this is a business, and we make a commission if we make a placement. But my view is simply that money will sort itself out if you do a good job. Also, we work with many candidates, so we're never dependent on any person on any placement. Many of us here are former lawyers, so we’re very thorough in our approach.

Success is when a person says, 'Oh, thank you for finding me my forever home.'

LD: You're sort of the European desk, as you said, but you still feel that it's a very collaborative environment even with team members who are working in other markets, including across the pond?

EW: Yes, because antitrust developments in D.C. may affect antitrust developments in Brussels, for example. The very first placement I made was indeed in Europe; in Paris. But actually it was in collaboration with my D.C. colleagues, because they were looking for someone to start a new practice area at this major law firm. They had no one in Europe. So, we heard about the need from the D.C. colleagues who were doing a search in D.C., as I was working with this excellent candidate who's now co-chair of the practice – so it was really a good choice. But back then, my colleagues said, “Oh, my colleague in Europe is working with someone.”

LD: You’ve said in the past that, for you, every search is a diversity search. What does that mean for you? How are you looking at that?

EW: Well, I think unconscious bias exists everywhere, and I think we have to be humble. We may all fall into that trap at some point. So I think the way you can counter that is through process. So, when you do a search and a firm says, “Oh, I want a partner in this area,” some people may immediately come to mind. That's fine, but then we don't stop there. The process is to say, “Let me take a second look. Did I miss anyone?” Then, if they’re right, we include them on the list. It takes us a bit longer. But at the same time, it ensures that nobody who matches the firm’s criteria gets forgotten or overlooked.

LD: And why is that process so important – why is focusing on diversity integral to your searches?

EW: I think there are two reasons. One, there is plenty of research to say that diverse teams are better; they are more creative, they have more perspectives, they give better advice no matter the field in which they are. And then the second point is because when I work with diverse candidates, they're really impressive. It's not easy to make partner for anyone, but if you’re someone who is traditionally underrepresented and you still manage to make partner, it shows that you are extra good, actually. You're very resilient, you're very bright. So, these are good candidates that should not be overlooked.

LD: Can you tell me about any trends you're seeing in your practice?

EW: We’re seeing a lot of lateral moves. I think this is a trend that is not going to go away. Coming back to what I was saying earlier about law firms being more strategic, law firms are more thoughtful in the way they conduct their business, in the way they manage themselves, in the way they want to stay ahead of their competitors. That leads them to change, and those changes are happening faster and faster. And change is good, but change creates instability. And when there is instability, people do wonder, “Am I in the right place?” That is why when there's a change of leadership, a change of strategy, a change in the compensation structure, a merger, people do wonder, “Am I in the right place in the long term for me and my practice?” Sometimes we see that people perceive that there is a loyalty penalty. They liked the people, they trained at the firm, but then they realized that suddenly the firm is bringing in X or Y and paying them a ton of money because they're superstars. And they're like, “Yeah, I'm here. I'm financing the superstar. Is that fair?” So, this feeling of whether they are being treated fairly is also something that may lead them to want to look elsewhere.

LD: That makes sense.

It’s similar to being a client in a legal case. You can't be your own advocate. Well, why should you be your own advocate when it's about presenting yourself?

EW: So, those are the macro trends. And then there is strong interest in all the private equity, private capital practice areas, because there's a lot of business to be done there and it's not going away. Quite the contrary. It is transforming the finance world to an extent. So law firms are saying, “Okay, we need to invest here.” And some firms are already in there and they're quite a step ahead, whereas others may want to catch up, but then that creates a ripple effect in the rest of the market where if there is one move, given that in certain practice areas, there are quite few players who are really serious advisors in a certain topic. So if one moves, that creates a gap, and that creates more moves. Then, adding capability in a certain area means that perhaps they need capability in adjacent areas. And again, that creates more moves. And then there are law firms who are looking to refocus on different practice areas, which makes people in other practice areas feel less loved in their law firm and decide to look elsewhere where it would be a better fit. Similarly, in terms of footprint, law firms are very thoughtful about where they are – which countries they’re in, what they are doing in those countries, what type of business, at what rates? So there are numerous reasons why there are now more lateral moves than ever.

That said, sometimes it also happens that we recommend to people, “Don't move, you're in the right place.” But it's good that they come and have a chat with us, and we can be a sounding board for them because perhaps today they're in the right place, but perhaps five years down the line, they're no longer in the right place. But then they already know us, they know how we work, they know that we want the best for them. And so that is another aspect that I find satisfying, that you can be a sounding board and an advisor and build relationships.

LD: With that, overall, what do you find most fulfilling about your career as a recruiter?

EW: When people are happy at their new firm, and the law firm is happy with their new addition. Law firms have become much more strategic businesses. They’re very thoughtful about their hiring, their growth. If you can bring them the right person, it really makes a difference in their trajectory. It contributes to their success. So contributing to the success of the law firms, contributing to the individual success of my candidates, is very fulfilling.

LD: And, as those lateral moves increase, what advice would you give to partners who are thinking about moving and looking at working with a recruiter?

EW: They should get in touch with several recruiters and see what their style is, ask them, “How do you work?” Because they will notice big differences in the way recruiters work. It’s similar to being a client in a legal case. You can't be your own advocate. Well, why should you be your own advocate when it's about presenting yourself? You can't go and chase the practice head. You can't go and say, “I'm so wonderful” to the practice head. That's our job. Our job is to chase. Our job is to nudge. And our job is to say, "Look, this person is great because A, B, C."

LD: Finally, when you have time, what do you enjoy doing for fun outside of work?

EW: I have two daughters, aged 13 and seven. So, I am busy with my girls trying to do fun things. They love to do arts and crafts like pottery and painting, and I try to get them active and moving and visiting nice places. The Science Museum and the Natural History Museum here in London are very nice. So I drag them there. And otherwise I read as much as I can, but not as much as I did before having children.