Legal Financial Services

Matthew founded Simmons & Hanbury in 2018. He has advised on executive search and legal consultancy services for many global listed corporations over the last two decades. Prior to establishing Simmons & Hanbury, Matthew held various senior leadership positions, including head of legal practice and head of legal consulting practice at other global search firms. Over the course of his career he has developed an extensive network of cross-border candidates and clients within financial services.

Matthew has in-depth expertise within the financial services sector and has successfully completed search assignments for some of the most prestigious financial services firms in the world. This includes banks, investment funds, private equity houses and leading law firms. In addition, he has completed numerous assignments for corporations across a range of industries. He also leads several high-profile general counsel networking events.

Before moving into executive search, Matthew obtained a Master’s degree in Business Management & Marketing at the University of Westminster.

Rob is a Director in the In-house legal team at Simmons & Hanbury, focusing on the Financial Services sector, including Insurance, Private Equity, Asset Management, and Banking. He has an impressive track record, placing General Counsel, Heads of Legal, and supporting large scale team build-outs. He has worked with many early stage financial services businesses as they look to build their legal function, as well as established UK and US-listed firms.

Prior to joining Simmons & Hanbury, Rob spent nearly seven years at a Private Equity backed search firm where he led their in-house legal practice. During this time, Rob built a specific niche within the insurance sector where he supported a range of commercial and personal lines insurers, as well as brokers. Rob has also partnered with numerous investment banks, FinTech’s and private capital firms during his career.

Rob started his career at a leading FTSE-listed recruitment firm in 2016. He holds a degree in Politics & International Relations from the University of Bath.

Libby is an Associate Director at Simmons and Hanbury, specialising in financial services hires including Hedge Funds, High Frequency Trading Firms, Investment Management and Digital Assets throughout the United States.

She joined Simmons and Hanbury in the legal division after years of experience working across Financial Services, C&I and Private Practice. Libby has advised teams across the board on hires from Legal Counsel to General Counsel, as well as placing specialist paralegals for projects or key hires. She brings a uniquely specialised blend of placements into leading Investment Funds, Investment Banks, Elite US law firms and multinational conglomerates, where she has created strong relationships with General Counsels and Partners to assist with legal hires, alongside a strong network of consultants and lawyers.

Before starting her career, Libby studied Sociology at the University of Leeds. Libby has also achieved an Executive Master of Business from the University of Cambridge (JBS) in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Workplace, and has since consulted many businesses and law firms on DEI strategy for their companies, as well as hiring tactics. Prior to joining Simmons & Hanbury, Libby was an Associate at a leading Legal Search Consultancy, placing lawyers into a variety of in-house and private practice firms.