Macie Franklin, senior partner at top legal search firm CenterPeak, has been busy. In the past nine years, she has placed more than 125 law firm partners in new roles and helped a dozen firms open new offices.
Those moves have been headline-worthy. Recently, Franklin helped Sidley Austin grow its West Coast capabilities: this past February, she facilitated the recruitment of Michelle Doolin – now Global Co-Leader of Sidley's Consumer Class Action Practice – from Cooley. Just a month later, she helped Sidley attract Steven Przesmicki, a corporate life sciences leader. She also counseled Kelann Stirling on moving her practice to Paul, Weiss, where Stirling now serves as Head of Project Finance and Development, and made several placements at Willkie Farr and Latham.
Franklin joined CenterPeak in 2017 as managing director. Specializing in working with partners, the Lawdragon 100 Global Leaders in Strategy & Consulting honoree has placed elite partners in a wide range of practice areas, including energy, technology, real estate, private equity, mergers & acquisitions, finance capital markets and litigation.
Her success stems from her ability to bring together the strategic mind of a lawyer with the thousand-foot view of a consultant: “My role sits at the intersection of talent, strategy and long-term platform building, allowing me to advise both law firms and individual partners on some of the most consequential decisions of their careers,” she says.
Franklin lives in Dallas with her husband and two daughters.
Lawdragon: What is the role of a top legal recruiter?
Macie Franklin: I partner with AmLaw 50 firms to consult on their strategic practice needs and on how best to position themselves to attract top talent from elite peer firms. I also have the privilege of building relationships with some of the most sought-after partners in the legal profession, keeping them informed of strategic opportunities and providing insight into legal and market trends across the industry.
LD: What do you like about what you do?
MF: I enjoy working alongside some of the most accomplished lawyers in the country. I find it incredibly rewarding to serve as their trusted strategic advisor during one of the most important professional decisions of their lives.
LD: What is it you enjoy about working with lawyers specifically?
MF: I find it rewarding to help exceptionally talented people navigate pivotal moments in their careers. Lateral moves are often among the most significant professional decisions a partner will make, and there is a great deal of trust involved in that process. I serve as both a strategic advisor and a sounding board, helping lawyers think through not only compensation and economics, but also culture, platform fit, client opportunities and long-term professional goals.
LD: Are there any trends you see that are creating demand for lawyers with particular expertise?
MF: Beyond the consistent interest we see in private equity and corporate M&A, I am also seeing meaningful momentum for funds attorneys. They are in high demand across regulatory, registered and private funds, as well as fund finance and secondaries.
Data center development is another area of real focus right now, with firms looking to build out dedicated expertise across their real estate, finance and corporate practices simultaneously.
I have also seen a sharp uptick in interest in partners with corporate life sciences practices, particularly in California, New York and Boston, where firms are moving with real urgency to strengthen those teams.
Lateral moves are often among the most significant professional decisions a partner will make, and there is a great deal of trust involved in that process.
LD: What are some of the more noteworthy projects in which you’ve been involved?
MF: I have been fortunate to work on several significant lateral matters across both coasts in the last six months. In New York, I recently counseled Kelann Stirling on moving her practice to Paul, Weiss, where she now serves as Head of Project Finance and Development, and facilitated the simultaneous recruitment of her colleague, Jamie Franklin.
Additionally, I helped Sidley expand its San Diego office with the addition of Michelle Doolin, the new Global Co-Leader of Sidley’s Consumer Class Action Practice, as well as Steve Przesmicki, a leading Corporate Life Sciences partner.
LD: Are there some situations that present challenges when helping lawyers chart their career?
MF: I frequently work with “lifers,” or partners who have spent their entire careers at one firm and have never seriously considered the lateral market. In many cases, they are already highly successful, well-regarded and genuinely happy at their firms. The challenge is not convincing someone to leave an unhappy situation; it is helping them recognize where their current platform may no longer fully support the next stage of growth for their practice.
That requires a significant amount of trust-building, careful listening and strategic issue-spotting. I spend a great deal of time understanding a partner’s practice, clients, internal dynamics and long-term ambitions so that when the right opportunity arises, I can articulate in a credible and thoughtful way how a different platform could elevate their practice even further.
The challenge is not convincing someone to leave an unhappy situation; it is helping them recognize where their current platform may no longer fully support the next stage of growth for their practice.
LD: How do you get into this line of work?
MF: I began my career as a practicing lawyer in Chicago. This gave me a firsthand understanding of how attorneys think and what they value, which adds to the credibility I bring to my strategic partnerships with both individual attorneys and firm clients.
Before moving into my current role, I worked at Boston Consulting Group, where I collaborated with senior leaders on strategic initiatives. That honed my ability to think strategically at scale and navigate institutional complexity – two essential skills for being a legal recruiting strategist.
LD: If you weren’t in your current job, what would you be doing now?
MF: I would be a music critic. I have a deep passion for music and would love to have Bob Boilen’s (former) job. NPR, call me if you need a new host for Tiny Desk concerts.
