Colleague Spotlight
Meet Brandon Robinson

At The Advocates, we know that our success is built on the dedication and talent of our people. Behind every placement and every client partnership is a team member whose hard work, creativity, and commitment to our mission make it all possible. To celebrate that, we launched an Employee Spotlight series to highlight the individuals who bring our values to life every day.

 

What is your role at The Advocates?

I’m a Senior Search Consultant focused on attorney placements. I work closely with associates, partners, and firm leadership across multiple markets, helping attorneys identify long-term career opportunities while also advising firms on strategic lateral hiring needs.

 

What stood out to you the most about your hiring process?

Coming from recruiting where things were much more transactional, I was honestly surprised by how deep we go in understanding people here. The amount of time we spend learning about an attorney’s long-term goals, personality, motivations, and what they actually want out of their career was very different from anything I had experienced before. It made me realize we are truly acting as advisors throughout the process rather than just recruiters facilitating interviews

 

What part of the mission do you connect with most?

Helping attorneys find environments where they can actually thrive long term. Most people would rather not work if given the option, so when someone is spending that much of their life at a firm, culture alignment becomes extremely important. If a platform does not align with who someone is, the job becomes significantly harder and less fulfilling. Understanding firm culture deeply enough to properly advise attorneys on fit is one of the most important parts of what we do.

 

In your own words, describe the importance of the work you do.

I help attorneys find roles that align with their long-term career goals. A career move is one of the biggest professional decisions someone can make, especially in law where culture, mentorship, platform, and quality of work all matter significantly. Being able to guide someone through that process and help them land in the right environment is something I take seriously.

 

How have you grown professionally since working here?

I’ve grown a lot professionally here. Prior to this, most of my recruiting experience was much more transactional. A lot of the candidates I worked with before were comfortable keeping the relationship surface level. Attorneys are different — they are generally more analytical, guarded, and thoughtful about career decisions.

This role has taught me how to build long-term relationships, ask better questions, and really peel back the layers to understand what is actually driving someone’s decisions and goals.

 

What is your best success story?

I worked with a lateral attorney who had a very strong skillset and personality, but came from a firm that did not have the best reputation for training and developing associates. A few firms initially had bias based on the attorney’s current platform despite liking the resume on paper.

Through our in-depth screening process and the way we presented the candidate’s story, we were able to give firms a much fuller picture of the attorney beyond the resume alone. The candidate ultimately received an offer, made the move, and is still happily at the firm more than three years later.

 

What has been your greatest accomplishment at work?

My first placement at The Advocates still stands out. I worked with a third-year corporate associate who already knew her current role was not the right long-term fit. Through a lot of conversations, we really narrowed down what she wanted her career and ideal platform to look like. Seeing that ultimately come together and knowing she landed somewhere that aligned much better with her goals was very rewarding.

 

What advice would you give to someone starting in your role?

Be curious. We work on a lot of niche legal roles, so the more curious you are about the work itself, attorneys’ motivations, what they like and dislike about their current platform, and what is happening in the legal market, the faster you will develop. The people who ask questions and genuinely want to learn tend to have the most long-term success in this business.

 

What do you enjoy most about working with your team?

Our team is extremely collaborative. You hear horror stories about agency recruiting environments where people fight over credit, clients, or candidates, but that really is not the culture here. People constantly share information, opportunities, and market intel with each other. In the three years I’ve been here, I can honestly say I have never seen someone put themselves above the team.

 

What has been the most fun you’ve had on the job?

About two years ago I met with a partner for dinner during the NBA playoffs. We started talking basketball and got so deep into the conversation that an hour later we realized we still hadn’t ordered food. Those types of conversations are always fun because they remind you this business is ultimately built on genuine relationships.