CenterPeak team members, from left to right: Jennifer Barcenas, Lindsay Nallie Smith, Dylan Dahmann, Taylor Guess, Adil Lalani, Ashwin Kannan, Barbara Thompson, Samone Medina, Jillian Storms, Justine Pearson, Sabina Lippman, Lauren Smith, Avery Ellis, Macie Franklin, Christin Livesay, Marcel Meijer, Mark Jungers, Jeffrey Lowe, Cody Brown, Erin Nelson, Lauren Welch, Alejandra Nagel, Rachel Bleau, Joshua Dull, Sam Bermudez, Kristin Mueller, Amber Ragonese, Clint Johnson, Madison Campbell, Sara Zahoryin and Jerry Correia.
In an evolving legal market, CenterPeak is at the top of the mountain. With a world-class roster, elite intel and a strategy-first mindset, the partner recruiting firm is doing more than simply placing talent – it’s engineering growth, reshaping firm trajectories and delivering alchemical outcomes with surgical precision. According to company intel, CenterPeak is placing more partners in top AmLaw firms than all of its closest competitors combined.
The firm is only two years in from its game-changing merger, but for more than two decades, the founders of CenterPeak have been the quiet powerbrokers behind some of the most significant moves in Big Law – headline-grabbing office openings, high-stakes acquisitions and strategic partner placements across the globe. With more than 2,000 partners placed and over 40 AmLaw 50 offices launched, they’ve helped shift billions of dollars in originations and reshape the industry from the inside out.
Synergistic Collaboration
When Johnson Downie and Lippman Jungers announced their merger last year, industry insiders anticipated a major shift. Few, however, could predict the scale of success that would follow.
Each firm brought distinct strengths to the table: Texas-based Johnson Downie had long dominated its region with a talent-scouting strategy that blended relentless hustle with investor-grade foresight. Meanwhile, Lippman Jungers commanded the coasts, leveraging deep institutional relationships and a knack for placing elite partners in the most competitive legal markets in the world.
Now operating under the CenterPeak banner, the newly combined firm hasn’t just exceeded expectations – it’s built a coast-to-coast juggernaut laser-focused on reshaping the partner landscape.
The synergy clicked immediately. “It wasn’t about stitching two cultures together,” says Founding Partner Clint Johnson. “It was about creating something new that established a higher standard for sophisticated legal recruiting.”
That “something new” has turned into a growth engine of its own. In just 12 months, CenterPeak has almost doubled its revenue and placed more of the most senior and hard-to-recruit partners than any competitor – including a number who earn $10M or more per year – and added an entire office’s worth of top-tier recruiters to its roster. What started as merger buzz is quickly looking like market dominance – and they’re just getting started.
The “1+1=4½” Effect
CenterPeak’s edge starts with its model – team-based, client-driven and focused on the world’s leading law firms. Unlike some placement firms where recruiters operate in silos, CenterPeak runs every search like a high-stakes M&A deal – deploying multiple senior recruiters, cross-market intelligence and a shared-compensation structure that rewards collaboration, not competition.
Mergers often come with friction, but for CenterPeak, the integration was never about compromise; it was about elevation. Johnson Downie brought operational discipline, deep mid-career talent and a relentless work ethic forged in the ultra-competitive Texas market. Lippman Jungers added premier partner access, sophisticated coastal relationships and a proven track record in the top tier of the nation’s most elite law firms.
“The cultural DNA matched from day one,” says Chief Strategy Officer and Founding Partner, Mark Jungers. “We didn’t aim to get incrementally better, we aimed to change the game. It wasn’t one plus one equals three. It was more like one plus one equals four and a half.”
We didn’t aim to get incrementally better, we aimed to change the game.
That shared DNA – rooted in trust, transparency and performance – has become a magnet for top recruiters. Many have left well-established firms to join CenterPeak’s high-performing environment, drawn by both its culture and its trajectory.
These include Avery Ellis from Mestel, MLA alumni Jeffrey Lowe, Meredith Frank, Joshua Dull and Jennifer Moss, Lateral Link’s Lauren Smith, as well as Adil Lalani from Macrae. “There’s never been such a concentration of top-tier talent with Chair-level access in one place,” says Lowe. “We don’t work for firms, we work with them, and our entry points are at the highest level.”
"We went from being individual experts to being part of a unified powerhouse that touches more elite talent than anyone else in the market,” said Dull, Co-Managing Partner of the Southeast. “Law firms don't just see us as recruiters anymore; they see us as strategic partners who can deliver transformational results."
Collaboration as a Competitive Weapon
At a time when clients are demanding more transparency, strategy and speed, CenterPeak’s team-based structure is proving to be a force multiplier.
“We’re not just sharing information – we’re sharing credit, compensation and outcomes,” says Firmwide Managing Partner and Co-Founder Sabina Lippman. “We’ve decided that by cross-compensating people and incentivizing collaboration – making that part of our ethos – it actually does add up to a lot more.”
Recruiters at CenterPeak operate as one firm across markets, functions and compensation lines. The result is a collaborative execution model that mirrors the way top-tier law firms themselves deliver results: cross-practice, cross-market, results-driven and client-first.
Operations: Built for Scale, Wired for Excellence
Internally, CenterPeak functions more like a high-performance consultancy than a traditional recruiting firm. It’s not a lifestyle shop – and that’s intentional. The firm prides itself on outworking peers, mastering the complexity of niche practice areas like private credit and securitization and producing outcomes that exceed expectations.
“The level of intelligence our recruiters bring to the table isn’t just about knowing the market – it’s about understanding how practices intersect across geographies and being able to connect the dots others don’t even see,” says Lippman. “Law firms aren’t just hiring talent – they’re relying on strategic intelligence. The recruiters we bring into the room are as insightful about market dynamics as the partners they’re advising.”
That level of impact has made CenterPeak an indispensable partner to top law firms navigating today’s most critical inflection points.
Quiet Power, Transformative Impact
In a market fixated on headlines, CenterPeak is quietly dominating where it matters most: helping to reshape the trajectory of the world’s top law firms. The firm’s partner placements include some of the most strategically significant moves in the industry – the kind that redefine practice strength, client reach and competitive positioning.
A standout example: CenterPeak’s role in Sidley Austin’s aggressive private equity expansion, including the recruitment of a top private equity leader and high-performing teams.
We went from being individual experts to being part of a unified powerhouse that touches more elite talent than anyone else in the market.
“When the most elite firms in the world want to reposition, rebrand, rebuild or grow, they’re not just looking for names,” says Johnson. “They’re looking for leverage, strategy and results. That’s what we deliver.”
This quiet dominance hasn’t gone unnoticed. As CenterPeak continues to orchestrate increasingly strategic and high-stakes moves, it’s helping usher in a new era for the legal industry – a future designed by those willing to rethink the old playbook.
Market Realignment
So, what does this new future look like? For starters, top firms are taking a more proactive approach to growth. They’re not just filling gaps – they’re investing in teams, rewarding high-performing partners, and cultivating the culture and expertise that drive long-term success.
“Firms don’t want volume – they want velocity and impact,” says Jungers. “And the smartest ones are doubling down while others are still waiting for the market to stabilize.”
It’s part of a larger shift in the legal industry. Firms that once relied solely on legacy brands and client rosters are now focused on nurturing talent, strengthening culture, and aligning compensation with both performance and tenure.
This effect highlights how firms that thoughtfully integrate and reward talent can catalyze growth far beyond individual client books. Strategic hires and internal development work hand-in-hand to create momentum that reshapes firm trajectory without undermining culture or tenure.
“The strong are getting stronger,” says Johnson. “And at light speed.”
Elite firms like Latham, Davis Polk, Paul Weiss and Sidley have shown how strategic talent development, culture and compensation alignment are central to maintaining a competitive advantage. CenterPeak has been at the center of this evolution, helping firms attract and build cohesive teams and modernize their approach to growth.
“We’ve entered the era of the modern law firm,” says Jungers. “The market rewards firms that develop, retain and strategically deploy top talent, while honoring the culture and legacy that built them.”
Your Recruiter Matters
For individual lawyers considering a move, CenterPeak offers a blunt but essential piece of advice: Your recruiter matters – more than you think.
An effective recruiter must have insider access, market intelligence and a proven ability to deliver outcomes – not just options. They must understand the landscape, context, market and needs of both their individual clients and the industry at large.
“Ask the hard questions,” says Johnson. “Who have you placed in the last 12 months? Can I speak to a client? What does your deal sheet look like?”
The right recruiter won’t just open doors – they’ll manage the entire arc of the process, from discreet introductions to offer negotiations to long-term integration. They can make the difference between a world-class career move and a misstep.
With a decades-long commitment to recruitment, a significant percentage of CenterPeak’s elite partner placements end up becoming clients, calling on CenterPeak to help them further grow their team. It’s not a coincidence – it’s strategy in action.
Elite Candidates, Elite Recruiters
In an industry where relationships are currency, CenterPeak has built a vault of relationships few can rival. With many of the very best legal recruiters on its roster, the firm has built an insider network that sees around corners – and gets ahead of opportunity before it ever goes public.
It’s this kind of “Chair Level access” that gives CenterPeak its edge, allowing them to pair top-tier talent with firms looking to make high-impact moves. When the best recruiters are talking to the highest caliber candidates and working with the most prestigious firms, you don’t chase trends – you help create them.
While CenterPeak excels at placing star partners from marquee firms, they also have a sharp eye for what they call “valedictorians” – standout lawyers from mid-tier or regional firms who have distinguished talent, portable books and untapped leadership potential.
When the most elite firms in the world want to reposition, rebrand, rebuild or grow, they’re not just looking for names. They’re looking for leverage, strategy and results. That’s what we deliver.
The "valedictorian" approach has proven transformative and has resulted in seamless integrations and strengthened practices in key growth areas for top-tier firms. “We don’t chase logos,” says Lippman. “We chase capability. Some of the best talent in the market is hidden in plain sight – we know how to find it, vet it and deliver it.”
The firm is also investing heavily in its own pipeline of talent and seeing exceptional returns. Per-recruiter earnings are among the highest in the industry, and junior team members are trained to engage premiere clients earlier than at most recruiting firms. They’re not just supporting deals; they’re leading them, and many are setting records within their first 24 months.
This is no accident. CenterPeak has developed an internal training program that’s as strategic as the work they do for clients. New recruiters learn how to interact with elite law firm leadership, interpret compensation structures, identify hidden market signals and build long-term relationships with impact players.
“Our job isn’t just to fill roles,” says Lippman. “It’s to reshape what firms think is possible – and who they think it’s possible with. That mindset starts in-house.”
Why CenterPeak Wins
CenterPeak’s secret sauce for success lies in a disciplined, three-part model: a client-first mindset, a deeply collaborative delivery system, and an unwavering focus on firms that are outstanding and aspirational.
“We’re not trying to be everything to everyone – we’re built to serve the best, and do it better than anyone else,” says Johnson. “Our model is disciplined, collaborative and relentlessly client focused.”
What’s Ahead
CenterPeak is pursuing strategic expansion that matches its clients' global ambitions. The firm's next phase focuses on deepening its presence and scaling within the U.S. geographies where it already maintains strong foundations – responding directly to client requests and market needs. CenterPeak's established presence across New York, California, Washington D.C., Texas, Chicago and Miami provides the platform for more intensive coverage and specialized expertise. "The beauty of the scale of CenterPeak today is that we're in contact with more of the elite talent," notes Jungers. This deeper penetration in key markets allows the firm to serve its top clients with even greater precision and market intelligence.
CenterPeak is also strategically expanding into London, Asia, the Middle East and continental Europe. These markets represent the next frontier for elite legal recruiting, where the world's most profitable firms are establishing critical footholds and seeking the highest-caliber talent. The firm's London expansion builds on its proven track record of international placements. CenterPeak has already facilitated major moves like Latham's addition of two market-leading structured finance partners in the U.K. The Middle East represents an emerging powerhouse in global finance and energy sectors, where CenterPeak's clients need the same level of elite recruiting expertise they've come to expect.
For CenterPeak, this is just the beginning. The firm's trajectory since the merger has accelerated and allowed CenterPeak to establish itself as the undisputed leader in elite partner recruiting. CenterPeak is positioned for unprecedented growth, and the firm's international expansion represents the next chapter in what Jungers calls their mission "to create the best legal recruiting firm in the history of the world."
As the legal industry continues its rapid evolution and consolidation, CenterPeak stands ready to be the strategic partner that helps the world's most elite firms not just compete but dominate. Its results speak for themselves – this is a firm that's not just growing but fundamentally reshaping what it means to be the Goldman Sachs of legal recruiting on a global stage.
