7 Ways We Create Your Advantage

When it comes to your in-house counsel, adequate is not enough. You need and want superior, business-minded in-house attorneys, capable of providing astute, definitive business advice—while fitting like a glove into your corporate culture. How do you go about identifying and extracting this talent—either from surrounding DC-area law firms, or your competition?

At Garrison & Sisson (G&S), we take pride in redefining the traditional role of a legal search firm. We act as informed advisors, trusted confidants, and superior recruiters. With over 30 years of in-house experience and more than 300 attorneys placed in corporate legal departments, we're uniquely positioned to find the perfect candidate for your company.

Named the "Best Legal Recruiter" in DC by American Lawyer and the Legal Times in 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011, G&S earned its sterling reputation with our fine attention to detail, our unmatched client loyalty, and by working with companies for many years on all of their attorney hiring needs.

Beyond referring candidates, we offer advice on structuring offices of General Counsels (OGCs), appropriate compensation packages, recruiting ethics, and more. Available on a retained or contingency basis, G&S provides unparalleled support and access when searching for an in-house attorney.

7 ways we create your advantage

A search firm whose reputation inures to your benefit. We were named the "Best Legal Search Firm" in Washington, DC by the American Lawyer/Legal Times (2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011).

Your advantage: Peace of mind that you have aligned your company and your search with the recognized authority on legal recruiting in the Washington, DC metro area.
Depth of experience (30 plus years) in conducting in-house searches. Track record of in-house placement (we have placed over 300 attorneys in corporate legal departments); experience in the local marketplace; and familiarity with your industry and the corresponding practices that support it.

Your advantage: Our years of experience benefit you. Our database enables us to provide depth of historical attorney information that is simply unrivaled by any other search firm in the region. While we source for the tangible skills, we also screen for the intangible ones that produce targeted, prompt, and efficient results.
Appreciation of your culture and what makes a "good fit."

Your advantage: We meet with all candidates before we refer them for your consideration for a position. By evaluating cultural fit in a person, we will not dilute your resources with candidates who are not a fit or object to a job factor predicated at the outset.
Advice beyond this immediate search. We frequently are asked to provide counsel on the structure of OGCs, compensation packages, etc. We also are approached for recommendations regarding provision of outside counsel expertise. We are regarded as a knowledgeable source for sound guidance on search firm ethics—our clients seek us out for directions on what to do with other search firms.

Your advantage: Insight and sound business guidance that extends beyond the search itself.
An executive search firm approach: we provide a written summary of our process, an executive summary of each candidate’s professional experience, personal interview feedback along with recommendations as to candidates’ appropriateness for a position.

Your advantage: Minimal time spent selecting the most qualified candidates to interview.
We will predict and help minimize problems before they manifest.

Your advantage: Reduce or eliminate unwelcome surprises.
We are highly strategic in our approach to executive search and provide feedback to you and to all potential candidates with polite candor intended to position you/your opening more favorably. We operate on the theory that our personal and professional integrity is on the line with every search. We are very careful to protect our reputation.

Your advantage: Our integrity and professionalism reflects your brand.