The Best Legal Recruiters – Mestel & Company’s Recognized Staff
Our staff represents the best team of attorney and legal recruiters in the country.
Our greatest strength lies in our own human resources. Mestel & Company is
staffed by an accomplished team of attorneys and industry-recognized recruiters who collectively provide service and expertise unparalleled in our field. Their insights into the attorney staffing profession are regularly solicited and published.
Find a recruiter by location:
Boston
- Mary Rosenfeld Director,
After receiving a J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 2000, Mary spent the last eight years practicing civil and criminal litigation in Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to joining Mestel & Company, Mary specialized in construction litigation for one of Boston’s premier construction litigation firms. Mary is a native of Boston and specializes in associate placement in her hometown market.
- Maurya J. Tangney Director,
Maurya has an in-depth understanding of the constantly changing Boston legal market due to her extensive experience as a legal recruiter in Boston. Maurya works with associates to help them find better opportunities in both local and national law firms. Maurya earned her JD from Boston College Law School and her B.A. from Boston College. Additionally, Maurya worked for the Boston Globe before attending law school.
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Chicago
- L. Roger Boord, Esq. Director, Partners, Groups, Mergers,
Roger is a graduate of Harvard Law School (J.D., cum laude) and the University of Virginia (B.A., magna cum laude) and also attended Cambridge University. After clerking for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Roger worked as a litigation associate for Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago. He later became a partner at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg in Chicago, where he practiced complex securities and employment litigation. Roger then specialized in defending employment cases and class actions at Frost Brown Todd in Cincinnati, Ohio. There, he was selected as an Ohio “Rising Star,” one of the top 2.5% of the lawyers under 40 in that state, by Ohio’s senior “Super Lawyers.” Roger currently heads the Partners, Groups, Mergers Division in Chicago. In addition to partner and group placements, he also works in the strategic advising and merging of law firms.
- Beth Kalisz Director,
Prior to joining Mestel & Company, Beth was an associate in Jenner & Block’s Bankruptcy, Corporate Reorganization and Workout group in Chicago. Beth graduated summa cum laude from Indiana University School of Law where she served as the Executive Articles Editor of the Indiana Law Review. While earning a B.A. in Political Science from Purdue University, Beth studied at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. In addition to international travel, Beth loves a good adventure such as skiing, water sports or playing Bingo with senior citizens at her local community center. Beth now specializes in placing associates within the Chicago market.
- Adrianne Kalyna Managing Director,
Prior to joining Mestel’s Chicago office, Adrianne was an Executive Vice President at a nationwide executive search firm, handling senior executive searches. After graduating from the University of Arizona (Phi Beta Kappa) and then earning her J.D. at Arizona State University, she became a litigation partner at a law firm in Phoenix, Arizona. She was then appointed the United States Trustee for the District of Arizona, a position she held for six years before becoming an executive search professional.
- Michelle Mulholland, formerly Balfour Director,
Prior to joining Mestel & Company as an Associate Director, Michelle spent five years as a litigation associate, primarily with a boutique civil litigation defense firm in Chicago. Michelle earned her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. In addition to her experience as an attorney, Michelle served six years in the U.S. Army National Guard.
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Los Angeles
- Sabrina Joshi-Eisenbrei, Esq. Director,
After graduating from Scripps College, cum laude, and The University of Michigan School of Law, Sabrina joined the D.C. office of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds as a litigation associate, working primarily on antitrust and securities matters. She then moved to California to work for Alschuler Grossman Stein and Kahan, as a litigation associate. During law school, Sabrina represented children and foster parents through Michigan’s Child Advocacy Law Clinic. She spent her summers at the Corporation Counsel’s Juvenile Criminal Division, Children’s Rights Law Center, at Howrey Simon Arnold & White’s “Litigation Boot Camp”, and, before law school, as a legal assistant at a small Los Angeles law firm. Sabrina brings us broad experience with a variety of law firms and a strong knowledge of the Los Angeles market.
- Lyndon J. Parker, Esq. Managing Director,
Lyndon practiced law for nearly 15 years, first as a trial attorney for the Chief Counsel of Internal Revenue, then as Assistant General Counsel to ARAMARK. Prior to entering private practice, he had been in legal search for 10 years. Lyndon is a graduate of American University and New York Law School. While attending the New York University Graduate Tax Program, he authored the first BNA Portfolio in the area of tax lien enforcement and priorities. He serves on several non-profit boards of directors, is an avid tennis player, golfer and runner, and is a former professional pianist.
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Miami
- Curtis M. Lando, Esq. Managing Director,
After graduating from Cornell University in 1995, Curtis moved to The Netherlands, where he worked in education and sales. He returned stateside to attend law school, receiving a J.D. from the University of Miami in 2000. Prior to joining Mestel & Company, Curtis assisted in-house counsel for a Miami telecommunications and software company. He spent 3 years as a recruiter in Mestel's Washington, D.C. office before relocating to South Florida.
- Jordan Rosenthal, Esq. Director,
Jordan Rosenthal is a Director in Mestel's Miami office. He recruits associates and in-house attorneys in the South Florida area, where he places them with top, regional and national law firms and corporations. Jordan was a lawyer in New York City for more than five years, where he focused on nearly everything, from depositions to motions, writing briefs, arbitrations and mediations. Prior to law, Jordan founded and owned a sports internet company that developed software for fantasy sports games and statistics. His company was sold to Fox Sports, a division of News Corp. Jordan received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a minor in Law from Lehigh University. He received his JD from Brooklyn Law School.
- Gary R. Schwartz, PhD. Associate Director,
Gary has a B.A. in psychology, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida. His doctorate, magna cum laude, is in organizational and industrial psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology; his dissertation is in career satisfaction. Prior to joining Mestel, Gary spent over twenty years working at a national search firm, placing lawyers and executives. He particularly enjoys discussing career development with his candidates.
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New York
- Eilene Bloom Director, Partners, Groups, Mergers,
Eilene was the first female Corporate Vice President at one of the top NYSE-traded insurance companies in the United States. Eilene spent 20 years with this firm working with recruiters to hire senior level executives (including staffing an in-house legal department). Prior to joining Mestel & Company, Eilene was Director of Partner Placements for a national legal attorney placement company. She entered the legal recruiting professional because of her strong human resource background and knowledge of what she wanted as a “client.” Eilene received her B.A. magna cum laude from Queens College.
- Jennifer Brown Associate Director, Partners, Groups, Mergers,
Jennifer has had an extensive and diverse career. After graduating from Stanford University with a B.A. in Economics with honors, Jennifer joined a major international law firm where she worked as a paralegal. Jennifer later worked at two premier search firms, placing lawyers and executives in the financial industry, before joining Mestel & Company.
- Nicole Constance Associate Director,
Nicole has had an extensive and diverse career in business and legal search. After graduating from the University of Hartford with a B.A. degree in English and History, Nicole went on to work for Revlon as Associate Director of Business Initiatives and later as an associate within a newly formed Marketing Department and the Internal Communications Division at Deloitte LLP. After four years at Deloitte, she went on to work for one of the top financial hedge fund companies in New York City. While contemplating attending law school, she decided to work side by side with lawyers in a boutique legal search firm in Manhattan focusing on research and in-house business development for 5 years.
- Jill Goldman, Esq. Director,
Jill has been recruiting at Mestel & Company for over ten years. She is an experienced attorney and human resource professional. Her broad perspective on the legal market and its unique personnel needs makes her a strong asset to our firm. Prior to joining Mestel & Company, Jill worked for a bankruptcy judge in the Southern District of New York. She has a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and during college at Syracuse University lived and studied in Japan.
- Diane Hewitt Associate Director,
A Smith College graduate and legal recruiter for over 18 years, Diane’s success stems from her vast legal contacts, in-depth market knowledge, genuine sensitivity towards candidates and commitment to providing accurate information. She works with both partners and associates in the New York and national legal markets. In addition, Diane participates in national championship bicycle racing and is an avid golfer.
- Roger Hsia, Esq. Director, Partners, Groups, Mergers,
Roger earned his JD from The University of Texas School of Law. He graduated from The University of Michigan with a B.A. in Honors English. After graduating from law school, Roger engaged in general corporate, securities, real estate and other transactional work for two prominent mid-sized law firms. Prior to joining Mestel and Company, Roger was a Managing Director for a top legal recruiting boutique and has placed numerous partners and associates into law firms and corporations.
- Isabelle A. Laskin Associate Director, Partners, Groups, Mergers,
Isabelle graduated from SUNY at Binghamton and later completed much of her M.B.A. at Bernard Baruch College. She has diverse experience in the recruiting industry which includes legal, medical and business sectors. Isabelle studied abroad in Cardiff, South Wales, and loves international travel and classical music.
- James S. Lee, Esq. Director,
James earned his JD from the Fordham University School of Law and his BA from Binghamton University where he had the opportunity to work as a political analyst at Parliament, House of Commons in England. Prior to joining Mestel & Company, James was a recruiter for a prominent legal search boutique where he placed numerous associates into law firms. He has also spent some time working at a major international law firm. Because of these experiences, James has developed a keen sense of what is required to succeed in today’s legal marketplace.
- Lynn Mestel, Esq. President and Founder
Lynn began her career as a marketing executive at one of the world’s largest advertising agencies, Saatchi & Saatchi, working on Procter & Gamble products, an experience which gives her unique insight into the business and marketing of law. She is frequently quoted in national and regional legal and business publications, and has chaired numerous conferences on lateral partners, law firm management, and temporary legal staffing. Ms. Mestel has served on the New York County Lawyer’s Association committee on "Changing Trends in the Profession” and has been a panelist for The Association of the Bar of the City of New York committee on “Legal and Ethical Issues Raised by Partner Departures”. Lynn is an accomplished consultant and business woman recognized by many organizations, including the National Association of Women Business Owners. In 2006, Lynn was a participant and member of the 2006 Clinton Global Initialive. Lynn is a graduate of the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where she was elected Phi Beta Kappa.
- Kimberley E. Neufeld, Esq. Associate Director, Partners, Groups, Mergers,
Prior to joining Mestel & Company in 2000, Kim had a successful career practicing international tax with a “Big Four” accounting firm. With her extensive knowledge of the New York and Washington legal markets, and her in-depth knowledge of the practice of law, Kim has assisted in the placement of many significant practice groups and individual partners. Kim is a graduate of McGill University Law School, where she was a member of the Law Journal.
- Geraldine Reich Director,
With fifteen years of industry experience, Geraldine manages the Mestel team of recruiters who place associates. She is especially known for her wit, compassion and sensitivity to the long-term importance of each and every attorney's career aspirations. She is an avid and knowledgeable devotee of opera, ballet and the New York Yankees. Geraldine has a B.A. in anthropology from Hunter College.
- Samuel Roberts, Esq. National Sr. Exec. Dir, Partners, Groups, Mergers,
Since joining the company in 1998, Sam has spear-headed the company's lateral partner efforts in the New York office and has played a major role in developing the company’s Boston and Chicago offices. Sam practiced law for nearly twenty years, the last four as a partner in a mid sized law firm and, for the nine years before that, as corporate counsel to a large, privately held energy company. Prior to joining Mestel & Company, Sam was director of partner placements for a national legal attorney placement company, a subsidiary of one of the world's largest staffing organizations. In addition, he was for several years president of a China-based pharmaceutical and medical imaging company that imported and exported products to and from several Asian and Latin American countries. Sam was, at one time, voluntary counsel to the East West Cultural Studies Program, a not-for-profit organization promoting art exchanges between Japan and the United States. Sam is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School, where he was Notes Editor of the Law Review. He has authored several publications in the area of constitutional law, trademark and admiralty.
- Ty Rugman Managing Director,
Prior to becoming a recruiter, Ty worked in the New York, European and Asian offices of a Top Five international law firm. For over ten years he has placed attorneys nationally and internationally in-house and with leading law firms. Ty’s experience at the head and branch office level gives him a particular sensitivity to demands placed on attorneys. He has written for the The New York Law Journal and is often called upon to counsel law firms, corporations and financial institutions, as well as law students on career development and staffing issues. He is recognized as a leader in the legal community for his market knowledge and ability to match candidates with appropriate platforms for success.
- Tom Taylor, Esq. Director,
Prior to joining Mestel & Co., Tom was an associate in both the New York and Washington D.C. offices of Winston & Strawn where he focused on the litigation, transactional, and regulatory aspects of environmental law. Tom graduated with a degree in economics, with distinction, from the University of Virginia and then obtained his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Currently, Tom specializes in associate placement in the New York market.
- Nancy Wein, Esq. Director,
After practicing law for fourteen years including as a partner at a small NYC general commercial firm where she concentrated in Trusts and Estates, Nancy went directly into the search field. She has had long term experience, focusing on associate placement at all levels into law firms and in-house positions. Nancy earned her J.D. from the College of William & Mary, and her B.A. in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her husband and daughter. Nancy enjoys spending her free time with family and friends, cooking, walking her dog in Riverside Park and attending cultural activities.
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San Francisco
- David Bennett Managing Director, Partners, Groups, Mergers,
David Bennett works with partners and teams of attorneys who want to confidentially explore their opportunities in the partner marketplace in the San Francisco Bay area and the Silicon Valley. This includes practitioners in IP, corporate, Labor and various types of litigation. He also handles retained search assignments for some of the most important law firms in the United States seeking to increase their partner ranks in the region. Prior to joining Mestel & Company as the founding member of its northern California partners, groups and mergers practice, David worked in partner search at another leading national attorney search firm. David brings his experience as a businessman and entrepreneur to the business of recruiting for law firms. While in graduate school, David co-founded Omega Performance Corporation, one of the fastest growing small businesses in the U.S. Omega developed a clientele of more than 1000 financial institutions in North America, Europe and Asia and was recognized as an INC. 500 Company. David has a keen interest in technology and in 2003, produced what is believed to be among the first live internet web seminars (pod casts) on labor and employment issues, targeted at GC’s and in house counsel, in conjunction with the California State Bar. Recently, he helped the San Francisco Bar Association ‘podcast’ a live teleconference with leading Pakistani lawyers. David lives in Marin County with his wife of thirty years and is an avid hiker, cyclist and skier.
- Lorraine R. Bowman Director,
Lorraine has recently transferred from our Los Angeles office to open our San Francisco office which will cover the Bay Area. After graduating from American University with honors, Lorraine worked as a litigation paralegal at major law firms in Washington, D.C. and Boston. During law school, she worked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SDNY, Criminal Division and the New York State Attorney General’s Office, Investment Protection Bureau. Upon receiving her J.D. from New York Law School, she worked as an associate at a boutique civil and criminal litigation firm. Lorraine’s extensive and diverse hands-on legal experience gives her a true insight into the ever changing legal market.
- Lynn Mestel, Esq. President and Founder
Lynn began her career as a marketing executive at one of the world’s largest advertising agencies, Saatchi & Saatchi, working on Procter & Gamble products, an experience which gives her unique insight into the business and marketing of law. She is frequently quoted in national and regional legal and business publications, and has chaired numerous conferences on lateral partners, law firm management, and temporary legal staffing. Ms. Mestel has served on the New York County Lawyer’s Association committee on "Changing Trends in the Profession” and has been a panelist for The Association of the Bar of the City of New York committee on “Legal and Ethical Issues Raised by Partner Departures”. Lynn is an accomplished consultant and business woman recognized by many organizations, including the National Association of Women Business Owners. In 2006, Lynn was a participant and member of the 2006 Clinton Global Initialive. Lynn is a graduate of the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where she was elected Phi Beta Kappa.
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Washington, DC
- Anu Anand, Esq. Director,
Upon receiving her J.D. from The Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, Anu practiced International and Wireless Telecommunications Law at a telecom boutique in Washington, D.C. Aside from her experience as an attorney, Anu has several years of experience working in the legal field in various capacities, including Office Administrator, Paralegal and Law Clerk, for a range of firms and the Federal Communications Commission. With an undergraduate degree in English Communications, Anu's diversified background includes experience hosting a cable television show, emceeing public events and several years of dance performance and choreography. Anu's familiarity with private law firm culture and her strong interpersonal skills enable her to help build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships between law firms and associates.
- Julie Chen Clocker, Esq. Director, Partners, Groups, Mergers,
Prior to joining Mestel & Company, Julie practiced law for over fifteen years. Julie began her legal career at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and McDermott, Will & Emery, where she became a partner in McDermott’s litigation group. She then moved in-house to become the Chief Legal Officer of the United States Tennis Association in New York. After relocating back to the Washington, D.C. area, Julie served as in-house counsel to the Smithsonian Institution and, most recently, was Of Counsel to Constantine Cannon, an antitrust boutique. Julie obtained her law degree, cum laude, from the University of Michigan in 1991 and her Bachelors of Arts from the University of California at Irvine, where she was elected Phi Beta Kappa. Julie is a member of the Steering Committee of the DC Bar Section on Arts, Entertainment, Media and Sports Law, and serves on several local non-profit boards of directors.
- Avery Ellis, Esq. Executive Managing Director and COO,
Prior to opening the Washington office of Mestel & Company in 1998, Avery worked for almost six years as a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division. He joined the Department of Justice through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. At Mestel & Company, Avery has completed numerous partner-level placements and has worked on some of the highest profile law firm mergers in the United States. In addition to leading Mestel & Company’s Washington office for more than 10 years, Avery has played a key role in the build-out of our national platform, including the opening of offices in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco.
- Pooja Krumenacker, Esq. Director,
After receiving a JD from American University, Pooja was a litigator for a general litigation firm located in Washington. D.C. She then made the transition into the attorney placement industry and has served the leading law firms in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. By virtue of the fact that her roots are in the Washington, D.C. area, she is in an ideal position to utilize contacts and connections to expand both client and candidate databases. Pooja now specializes in associate placement in the Washington, D.C. market.
- Howard S. Parris, Esq. Director, Partners, Groups, Mergers,
Howard joined Mestel & Company in 2001, having previously been a Partner in a prestigious national law firm where he practiced corporate, securities and mergers and acquisitions law for more than 17 years. As a Partner, Howard worked closely with the officers and boards of directors of more than fifty financial institution clients on corporate, M&A, strategic planning and growth issues. He is a graduate of Pomona College and The George Washington University Law School. Howard works with the senior management of many law firms in Washington and across the country, helping them achieve their objectives for lateral growth. With his strong interpersonal skills, extensive knowledge of the Washington legal market and significant business planning experience, Howard has placed many significant practice groups and individual partners since joining Mestel & Company.
- Matthew Schwartz, Esq. Executive Director,
After graduating from Brown University and Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude, Matt joined Howery, LLP as a litigation associate. Matt then went on to work for Hogan & Hartson LLP for three years as a corporate and real estate associate, where he also was a member of the Summer Associate and Recruiting Committees. Matt’s extensive background in the practice of law and recruiting give him a unique perspective on the Washington, D.C. area legal market. Matt is known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Washington, D.C. area law firms and his extensive career planning skills. Since joining Mestel in 2001, Matt has built extensive relationships with the best law firms in Washington, D.C. and beyond. Matt leads the Mestel DC Associates Group and is responsible for numerous associate placements.
- Neil Sirota, Esq. Director, Partners, Groups, Mergers,
Prior to joining Mestel & Company, Neil spent six years as an antitrust associate with Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. He is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations and was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar at Columbia University School of Law. Neil brings with him established relationships within a wide range of national law firms as well as strong interpersonal skills.
- Rebekah J. Stafford, Director,
Rebekah’s recruiting practice is focused on the placement of associate level attorneys in the Washington, D.C. legal market. She joined Mestel & Company after working as an associate in the business and tax litigation sections in the Washington office of Nixon Peabody. While at Nixon, she helped establish a Domestic Violence Pro Bono program for the firm, and was actively involved in recruiting events. Rebekah received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to attending law school, Rebekah earned her B.A. in Psychology, magna cum laude, at Stonehill College in Massachusetts where she also played varsity soccer Outside of the office, she still plays soccer, acts as a fitness trainer, and enjoys traveling.
- S. Christian Wickwire, Esq. Director,
After receiving his J.D. from the Boston University School of Law, Christian practiced business and securities litigation in the New York office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. He then returned to his hometown and practiced in Washington DC at two firms: Goodwin Procter LLP as a commercial litigation associate and employment law at the boutique Charlson, Bredehoft & Cohen, P.C. Having grown up and worked extensively in the Washington, DC metro area, Christian brings to his clients his extensive contacts and insight into the legal market. He specializes in associate placements. Outside of the office, he plays tennis, golf and squash.
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