TRP 330: [Legal] Attracting High-Quality Law Firm Support Talent with Ted French

Most law firms spend enormous resources attracting the right attorneys — but the executives running the business behind them are just as hard to find, and just as easy to lose.

Ted French is the co-founder and president of ASG Legal Search and a 35-year veteran of the executive recruiting and staffing industry. Having previously built and sold Acclivity Healthcare — a firm that placed over 18,000 professionals with 300+ organizations — Ted now focuses exclusively on recruiting C-suite and director-level non-attorney talent for law firms across the United States. In this episode, Ted joins Scott Love to break down exactly what's driving demand for executive legal talent right now, why firms keep losing the best candidates, and what it takes to win in a hypercompetitive market.

You'll learn:

Which C-suite roles are in highest demand at law firms right now — including a new one most firms are just starting to hire for

The real reason top executives leave their firms (hint: it's not compensation)

Why law firms are losing talent to consulting firms, private equity, and tech companies

The #1 mistake firms make in their hiring process that costs them their top candidates

How AI is reshaping the executive committee — and what the leadership team of tomorrow will look like

Why "hiring for industry experience" instead of leadership capability is a critical pitfall

What exceptional firms do differently to make their opportunity impossible to say no to

6 best practices for attracting and closing the right executive — from job description to onboarding

How to retain executives once you have them (retention starts before they consider leaving)

3 action steps law firm leaders can take right now to improve their ability to attract top talent

If you lead a law firm or serve on its executive committee, this episode will sharpen how you think about the business leaders who make your firm run.

Visit: https://therainmakingpodcast.com/

YouTube: https://youtu.be/sC7cbTuQanc

---------------------------------------- If you are a successful law firm partner or law firm founder and want to hear about other options, please book a time on Scott Love's calendar here:

https://calendly.com/scott-736/half-hour-phone-meeting-with-scott

Or email Scott to connect with him at: [email protected] ---------------------------------------- 🎙️ The Rainmaking Magazine helps lawyers, consultants, and professional service providers build thriving practices through smarter business development.📖 Subscribe to The Rainmaking Magazine — free 30-day trial: https://www.rainmakingmagazine.com ---------------------------------------- This show is sponsored by Leopard Solutions Legal Intelligence Suite of products, Firmscape, and Leopard BI. Push ahead of the pack with the power of Leopard. For a free demo, visit this link: https://www.leopardsolutions.com/index.php/request-a-demo/ ----------------------------------------

About Ted French:

Ted French is a nationally recognized executive recruiter, entrepreneur, and staffing industry leader with more than 25 years of experience building and scaling high-performing recruitment and staffing organizations across healthcare, professional, and legal services. He currently serves as General Manager and Co-Founder of ASG Legal Search, where he leads strategic growth initiatives and delivers professional talent solutions to legal organizations throughout the United States. Under his leadership, ASG Legal Search delivers highly targeted legal talent solutions to law firms and corporate legal departments with a focus on quality, speed, and client partnership. Key focus areas include recruiting C-level and director-level talent, exclusively in law firms.

Previously, Ted founded and led Acclivity Healthcare, one of the most successful specialized healthcare recruiting and staffing firms in the region. Over a distinguished 23-year tenure, he served as Principal Recruiter and General Manager, leading al