Building a high-performing legal team: how we helped hire 13 key roles

Background

Marsh & McLennan Group (MMC) is a global leader in professional services, offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy and people. Over the past decade, we have cultivated a strong partnership with MMC, working closely with their subsidiaries, Marsh, Mercer and Guy Carpenter, to meet their legal and compliance hiring needs. Over the years, we have also supported MMC in hiring several senior positions, including the Chief Legal Counsel for Marsh and Guy Carpenter. Additionally, we have assisted in numerous team hires, ensuring that MMC’s legal and compliance functions are robust and aligned with their strategic objectives.

The challenge

MMC entrusted us with an ambitious recruitment mandate to fill 13 roles across legal and compliance functions, including a commercial lawyer and two litigators. These roles required niche expertise and alignment with MMC’s strategic objectives.

Key challenges included:

• Balancing the unique requirements of MMC’s combined legal team while ensuring alignment with the distinct cultures of Marsh, Mercer and Guy Carpenter
• Establishing a new paralegal team in Belfast within a competitive talent market

The solution

To address these challenges, we implemented the following strategies:

• Understanding stakeholder needs: We conducted in-depth consultations with key stakeholders across all divisions to tailor our search strategy and ensure alignment with MMC’s expectations
• Targeted recruitment campaigns: Leveraging our extensive network and deploying focused campaigns, we attracted top-tier talent for the Belfast paralegal team and other specialist roles

Key deliverables:

Senior leadership hires: Over the course of our partnership, we successfully placed senior leaders, including the Chief Legal Counsel for Marsh and Guy Carpenter, ensuring MMC’s legal teams are equipped with exceptional leadership.

Building a new paralegal team in Belfast: We established a paralegal team to support MMC’s operations, including hiring a senior lawyer to head up the team and focusing on candidates with strong foundational skills aligned with MMC’s goals and culture.

Litigator: Two skilled Litigators were hired to address MMC’s growing needs for dispute resolution expertise.

Commercial Lawyer: A Commercial Lawyer with a strong background in contracts and negotiations hired to enhance the team’s capabilities.

Diverse role placements: We have placed several successful hires across all levels, from senior leadership roles to legal counsel positions, ensuring MMC’s legal teams are equipped with the right legal expertise and talent.

The outcome

Our initial placements resulted in the successful appointment of ten roles, reinforcing MMC’s legal and compliance capabilities. The newly formed paralegal team in Belfast, led by a senior lawyer, has already begun delivering value. Additionally, the three specialist roles have bolstered the group’s expertise in litigation and commercial law, providing targeted support for MMC’s evolving needs.

Client testimonial

 “The team, including Nikki Newton, Karolina Mikulicz-Church, Penny Parker, Hamish Richmond and Louise Nicholls, has been an invaluable partner in helping us address our legal and compliance hiring needs. Their deep understanding of our organisation and their tailored approach have consistently delivered exceptional results. The successful build-out of our paralegal team in Belfast and later the specialist roles are testament to their expertise and commitment.”