Divya Bala is the founder of the elite legal recruiting firm, Avance Partner Search.
When prominent legal recruiter Divya Bala opened Avance Partner Search, she created a firm where premier partner and group placements are rarely just moves. They are architectural acts.
Bala and her team often step in before a new law firm office opens its doors, curating entire ecosystems of talent with the foresight to anticipate cultural fit, tactical growth and long-term cohesion. Working globally, Avance brings both macroeconomic insight and market-specific fluency to every engagement within an ever-evolving legal landscape.
Anticipating uncertainty, navigating the intersections of data and human behavior and asking clients to trust a process that often feels shrouded in ambiguity are the rhythms Bala knows intimately. Whether she’s building a new foundation or slotting the final brick into place, time and again, she’s seen the lasting impact a well-placed move can have, not just on careers but on firm trajectories.
When Bala made the decision to start the firm, it was a rare convergence of instinct and insight. After years navigating the opaque, high-stakes world of legal recruiting, she knew exactly what kind of firm the market needed and precisely the one she intended to build. Avance would not be another name in a sea of intermediaries; it would be a deliberate force, a boutique operation built for precision, trust and meaningful transformation.
Bala approaches the profession with a uniquely sharp lens. Avance was conceived not to scale indiscriminately, but to advise intentionally, working exclusively with top-echelon legal talent and the firms prepared to invest in long-term alignment. It is this refusal to dilute the work that has defined the firm’s DNA from the start: strategic, discreet, and uncommonly attuned to both market mechanics and the quiet complexities of human behavior – the flickers of doubt, the unspoken ambitions and the delicate calculus behind every career move.
Bala’s depth in the field is not simply a matter of time served; it’s the result of years spent listening closely, reading between lines and recognizing patterns others miss. Her approach blends precision with empathy, intuition with analysis. Bala understands the subtle choreography required to align a firm’s ambitions with a partner’s potential, what must be said and when, sometimes, silence says more. There’s a rare duality to her work, an intimacy that never compromises professionalism and a sense of loyalty that lasts well beyond any signed offer.
Growth was always part of the vision. But, with more than a dozen significant placements within the top Am Law firms all over the country in 2025, and an expanding team, even Bala could not have anticipated how swiftly Avance would scale from a singular idea into a trusted force behind some of the most significant partner and group moves in recent years.
A Commitment to the Long Game
Bala understands the art of patience. Instead of treating placements like commodity trades, as can be the case in the recruiting industry, Avance has carved out territory that is deliberately small and undeniably powerful. Legal recruiting at the highest level is not about quick wins, it’s about cultivating relationships that span decades, where today’s junior associate becomes tomorrow’s hiring partner. The most sophisticated legal talent recognizes the difference between a recruiter and a trusted advisor – and that distinction has everything to do with time horizon.
Avance operates on a fundamentally different model: connecting with clients on a deeper level and developing authentic relationships that evolve over years, not months. True success transcends a simple placement – it’s about catalyzing positive and lasting transformation in the trajectory of legal careers.
According to longtime client, Alex Weingarten of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Avance’s influence extends far beyond typical recruiting parameters. Weingarten found a home in Willkie’s L.A. office through years of working with Bala – and that change had a huge impact on his life.
“To be honest, I don’t know anyone who's ever been as happy with their professional life as I am now at Willkie Farr & Gallagher,” says Weingarten. “And I owe that success and that gratitude in large part to her [Bala].”
The most sophisticated legal talent recognizes the difference between a recruiter and a trusted advisor – and that distinction has everything to do with time horizon.
Weingarten had been practicing law long enough to recognize the average cold call from a recruiter. When Bala reached out to him in 2016, he picked up mainly to “keep a finger on the pulse of the market.” At the time, he wasn’t looking to move unless something truly exceptional came along – what he referred to as a “unicorn.” Over the years, as he turned down opportunity after opportunity, he began to realize that Bala wasn’t trying to sell him on her timeline. She was listening, refining and waiting.
“She really took the time to hear what I was looking for,” Weingarten recalls. “She was refining what she was pitching to me, and in the process, she got to know me pretty well.”
Forging Purposeful Partnerships
That patience paid off when Bala eventually placed Weingarten alongside partners like Alan Epstein and Michele Mulrooney, bringing with them more than 30 lawyers. It was the kind of institutional move that reshapes markets, and today Weingarten continues to lead efforts to strengthen Wilkie's Los Angeles office in partnership with Avance.
“Divya was instrumental in bridging the gap,” Weingarten explains. “She's genuinely trying to find a good fit, where people are going to be happy long-term. She's invested in long-term relationships as opposed to churning and burning.”
While that headline-making move captured attention, it represents only one facet of Avance’s broader impact. In recent years, Bala and her team have placed partners and groups at Sidley Austin, Goodwin Procter, Paul Weiss, and Baker McKenzie amongst others.
As Jeff Poss, a longtime client, puts it: “The L.A. market is very competitive, and I think those who work with Divya and Avance have a leg up. They have serious knowledge of the market, of different practices and of the firms that have entered the market.”
Clients rely on Bala not only for insight into the major U.S. markets but also for perspective on international hubs. British by birth, she has an inherent familiarity with London’s legal community and has recently executed on multiple high-stakes deals there. When several firms approached her about London placements, Bala was able to pivot seamlessly, drawing on her in-depth understanding of global firms and the competitive dynamics that transcend borders.
Bala’s track record extends far beyond a single firm, single market, or a single deal. In 2024, she showcased her strategic intelligence on a large scale when news broke that she’d brought a 17-lawyer corporate team from Munger, Tolles & Olson to Baker McKenzie’s Los Angeles office — eleven of whom made the move as partners. This wasn’t just any group: their engagements included handling acquisitions by Berkshire Hathaway and Intel at $11.6B and $9B respectively. These kinds of moves require the kind of market insight and relationship capital that distinguish true advisors from the rest.
The Perfect Balance
That ability to matchmake has found root internally, as well. Bala’s commitment to excellence could easily become a barrier to expansion, especially in a field where ego often trumps collaboration. That high standard could potentially also make it a challenge to bring on another team member. But for a firm that specializes in finding and matching elite partners with the right Am Law 100 firms, it stands to reason that one of Avance’s strengths would be in cultivating a perfect team internally, too. Finding a colleague that would thrive in the abundant opportunities Avance would offer and envision a long-term life at the company required the same tactical patience that defines their client work. That, Bala certainly found when she hired Mary Copeland at the end of 2023.
Bala met Copeland years ago, when Copeland was first making her foray into the world of legal recruiting at their former firm. Bala had already made a substantial mark on the industry at the time and knew how challenging it could be. Bala had experience and wisdom to share, and she quickly and naturally moved into the role of mentor for Copeland. Bala could hardly have anticipated how strategically the journey would come full circle when Copeland chose to join her after she launched her own firm, carrying their mentor-mentee relationship forward under a new banner.
Copeland knew that she’d found the right career about a year after she moved into the field. She had just made her first placement after a solid year of working on the deal. The feeling was transformative for Copeland.
“There was something so rewarding in building a long relationship with somebody and getting to see it through,” says Copeland. “I was helping someone make a positive change in their life and the relationship doesn’t just end after that – that’s when I knew this was the career I wanted.”
“When Mary reached out to me, it was a no-brainer,” says Bala. “Our work ethics match, our goals are aligned – we’re both committed to making good placements with longevity while preserving integrity. More importantly, we share the same commitment to quality over quantity, about being selective in our work so we can maintain the standards that set us apart. We complement each other really well.”
That might have something to do with Bala’s influence on Copeland. When Copeland was transitioning from finance to legal recruiting, Bala was eager to offer guidance to Copeland, who was getting married and starting a family at the time. Bala, having been through it, offered advice on juggling the “all” when it came to “having it all.”
The transition from a larger shop to their current four-person team has been organic and seamless for both Copeland and Bala. The synergy is strong, and the significance of this full-circle moment isn’t lost on either of them. “A key aspect of mentorship is not only providing guidance early in someone’s career, but continuing to support them as they grow, succeed and ultimately become peers,” says Bala. “Whether within Avance or in a law firm setting, the ability to elevate and champion colleagues during pivotal career moments is especially important – and it’s something I am deeply focused on as we build here at Avance.”
The Market Race
Bala and Copeland are stationed on different coasts of the U.S., but Avance’s work spans a global market. While some recruiters may chase headlines and surface-level market shifts, Avance operates with the kind of intelligence network that comes from years of intentional and ethical relationship building. The firm's extensive understanding of the international market, combined with Bala and Copeland’s intimate knowledge of local markets, provides penetrating insight into the broader ecosystem that they’re a part of. This in-depth market comprehension and economic analysis helps to set Avance in a league of its own.
“If there's a change in the comp system at a firm, we're going to know about that before it's market knowledge,” says Copeland. “There's obviously a significant advantage to knowing ahead of the market and leading those conversations – that's part of the value that we bring to our clients.”
The nature of this work demands that Bala and Copeland stay engaged in the global market as a whole – they work in every major metro market. This offers Avance a comprehensive understanding of the constantly evolving compensation systems and the complex strategic and philosophical shifts in the industry on a global level, giving Bala and Copeland an undeniable competitive edge and this depth of knowledge becomes a strategic weapon.
“Partners want to be able to step in and understand the entire ecosystem of the firm, not just what's happening in their particular office,” says Copeland. “I'm able to connect the dots and understand the dynamics that are happening at all of these different locations and how that integrates with the broader firm strategy.”
The company is dedicated to guiding their candidates and firms through the process of change from a place of true partnership. Bala and Copeland work together to make this information digestible and understandable to their clients, who are busy being outstanding lawyers in their own right. A partner at a major firm might not have the time to learn the intricacies of the market as a whole, but they know that they can trust Avance to master that intelligence in a meaningful way and communicate precisely what they need to know to make savvy choices and strong decisions in the shifting marketplace.
It's one thing to have the information; it's another thing to be able to discuss those trends with firm chairs, and it's yet another thing to be able to share it in a way that preserves confidentiality but also allows our clients to really trust what we're doing.
It can be a delicate balance, holding sensitive information that is afforded to you due to personal relationships and using that intel at precisely the right moments with meticulous discretion. This data on its own might not mean much, but when it’s compiled and considered contextually it can become a persuasive narrative for the right candidate or the right firm. With fewer partnerships and conflicts, Avance can afford to be more methodical, more discreet, more selective about when and how they deploy market intelligence.
“We’re able to understand the trends and what's going on at a firm sometimes even before partners within the firm really understand it,” says Bala. “It's one thing to have the information; it's another thing to be able to discuss those trends with firm chairs, and it's yet another thing to be able to share it in a way that preserves confidentiality but also allows our clients to really trust what we're doing. It’s always a partnership and we work to earn the trust of the candidates and firms we work with alike!”
Moving Forward in a Purposeful Way
The future is bright for this female-forward firm. The trajectory speaks for itself: Avance has doubled its revenue year-over-year, with clients trusting the firm to deliver across all markets and practice areas. Avance’s focus moving forward is on fortifying relationships, both legacy and new; staying ahead of market research by utilizing AI for optimal data analysis and organization; and positioning themselves to compete with some of the bigger entities in the game – all while maintaining the personal touch that they have perfected.
On the technology side, the firm recently brought on a new team member in knowledge manager Will Blackburn, who will optimize existing data and add depth to what’s next for the firm in terms of AI, technology and data integration.
Avance is positioned for sustained success. The firm aims to continue making moves that stick, deepen their understanding of the market and the ecosystem within which they operate, and continue to grow their business with integrity and intelligence. While Bala is committed to maintaining a “quality over quantity” philosophy in terms of hiring, her sights are set on a deliberate expansion plan for growth that preserves what makes Avance distinctive.
“In today’s market, no partner is truly untouchable. Even the most established players at the top firms are in motion, and the competition for talent has become increasingly fierce. What once might have felt unthinkable – a rainmaker leaving a long-time home – is now part of the landscape. The real question isn’t whether movement will happen, but who has the foresight and strategy to make it work to their advantage.”
Avance is certainly living up to its name: In French it means “to advance,” or “to move forward in a meaningful way.” In an era where the battle for elite legal talent grows more intense by the day, Avance has distinguished itself not by chasing scale but by pursuing precision. The firm’s curated, intentional approach has shown that true competitive advantage lies not in volume, but in vision — and in this market, the art of the perfect match is what sets Avance apart.
