PERSONALBERATUNG
Professional Services
Challenges for auditing firms, tax consultancies, law firms and management consultancies.
Challenges for auditing firms, tax consulting firms, law firms and also management consultancies.
Audit firms, tax consultancies, law firms and management consultancies have long been confronted with extremely dynamic and complex changes as well as tougher competition. Price pressure and shorter project times are making themselves felt, and in all of this, competition that has been strengthened by mergers and acquisitions is stubbornly exploiting its potential.
Professional service and consulting companies are therefore required to offer their discerning clients a broader range of attractive and cost-effective solutions, as well as to strengthen their own management and talent portfolio with creative, networked and innovative personalities in the long term. As the highest level of professional expertise is also a prerequisite for managers in this sector, other important skills, including above-average communication skills and excellent social skills, make the difference between success and failure. Companies in the professional services sector are particularly reliant on such outstanding personalities.
The HAGER Professional Services business unit works with leading companies in the professional services industry and supports them in filling key positions, from senior management level to CEO.
Hiring partners for law firms and consultancies
When a law firm, audit firm or consultancy brings in a partner from outside, it usually gains client relationships, often a team of their own and a distinct way of working along with the individual. A lateral hire of this kind therefore changes more than a single position, and it often sets the direction of an entire practice.
Demand for experienced professionals in professional services remains high. In a snap survey by the German Association of Management Consultants (BDU) of 76 consulting firms, 86 per cent of firms with revenues above EUR 50 million plan additional positions for experienced consultants (BDU press release, 2 November 2026). Anyone hiring at partner and leadership level is therefore competing for a small group of people who hardly ever respond to job advertisements.
A partner move rarely fails on professional ability. More often it fails because the remuneration model, decision-making or client base does not fit the new firm. How many clients actually follow after a move can only be estimated to a limited degree in advance, because the clients decide for themselves. Both sides should discuss this risk openly before contracts are drawn up.
In its Professional Services practice group, HAGER Executive Consulting GmbH fills key positions at law firms, audit and tax firms and consultancies, from senior management up to managing partner level. We approach candidates confidentially through direct search and use management assessment to look beyond professional reputation at how someone leads, wins work and fits into a partnership.
Frequently asked questions about executive search for law firms and consultancies
How does a law firm hire a partner from outside?
A law firm usually hires a partner from outside through confidential direct search, because partners who are open to a move rarely make this public. The process starts with a clear picture of which practice is to be strengthened, which client profile suits the firm and what role the new partner will play in the partnership. Market analysis, approach and interviews follow, in which both sides openly test the business case, remuneration model and culture. HAGER Executive Consulting supports this process discreetly from the search through to the decision.
What is a lateral hire?
A lateral hire is an experienced professional or leader who moves from another firm to a comparable or more senior level, at law firms and consultancies usually as a partner. The term distinguishes these appointments from promotion from within. For the receiving firm, what matters beyond professional quality is above all the client relationships, the ability to lead a team and the fit with the partnership. Because lateral hires have a large impact, they deserve careful selection and a planned integration over the first months.
Can a whole team move to another law firm?
A whole team can move to another law firm, and in practice this happens time and again, particularly in areas such as corporate/M&A, private equity or restructuring. A team move needs more preparation than hiring a single person, however, because roles, remuneration and responsibilities have to be settled for several people at once. Contractual obligations, non-compete clauses and questions of professional regulation belong with the firm’s own lawyers. We focus on the search, the approach and whether the team fits the new firm.
Which positions does HAGER fill at law firms and consultancies?
At law firms and consultancies, HAGER fills key positions from senior management up to managing partner level. These include partners, heads of individual practices and business units, and commercial and operational leadership roles such as CFO or COO. Our Professional Services practice group works alongside the specialists in our other practice groups, for example when a consultancy is looking for a leader with deep sector knowledge from industry or financial services.
Last updated: November 2026
Talk to our team of experts!
MARTIN KRILL
CEO, Managing Partner
Are you looking to fill a partner position or a leadership role at your law firm or consultancy? Martin Krill, CEO and Managing Partner, will discuss with you in a 30-minute market assessment what the market looks like for your search.
DANIEL KUTSCHENKO
Partner IT Services & Operations