Legal Private Practice
We specialise in hires for elite US firms, as well as mid-tier and boutique practices. Covering hires from Associate to Partner level, we provide a service which is London centric but with a global reach. Our approach is content led and focused on specialist market insights to provide comprehensive value to candidates and clients. We are practice agnostic but focused on servicing the requirements of big law.
Our Private Practice division assists all firms across the London market, focusing on the elite US, Magic/Silver Circle, and International Firms with hires from Associate to Partner. Additionally, we support the European, American, Asian and UAE markets.
Seniority Levels:
Associate
Senior Associate
Managing Associate
Legal Director
Counsel
Partner
Contact Us
Matthew Simmons
Managing Director
Matthew Kellett
Strategic Advisor
Alastair Brunton
Consultant, Legal Commerce & Industry and Legal Private Practice
Matthew Simmons
Managing Director
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.
M | +44 7771 962 691
Market Insights
The Aspiring Solicitors Foundation: Removing Financial Barriers to the Legal Profession Evolution of the General Counsel role in 2021 and beyond A legal overview of the Private Equity market
Matthew Kellett
Strategic Advisor
Matthew is a Lawyer with over 3 decades of experience in the commercial and financial services sectors. He has worked as a Partner in the ‘Magic Circle’ and another major global law firm, leading teams that specialise in complex cross-border commercial work, with a particular emphasis on finance and structured investment, both in the UK and US.
During Matthew’s time as Managing Partner for financial services at BCLP, the firm was responsible for the highest number of lateral partner hires. In addition, he ran a large business in a global bank and later established the client-facing arm of a ‘Big Four’ global professional services firm together with a legal consultancy team.
M | +44 7973 763243
Practice Areas
Legal Private PracticeLocation
Head Office
Alastair Brunton
Consultant, Legal Commerce & Industry and Legal Private Practice
Alastair joined Simmons & Hanbury in January 2023 to work in the Legal Corporates Practice. He has worked in legal search for several years, with a background in both Private Practice and In-house, specialising in placing Commercial, Data Privacy and IP lawyers. His client base ranges from leading professional services companies, global consumer brands and several FTSE listed businesses. Prior to joining Simmons & Hanbury, Alastair worked within the Legal team at a leading global search firm.
M | +44 7470 373 512