Our #1 Priority
"At Shelton & Steele, our number priority is protecting the law firm or group that examining a legal MSO or merger. Our job is not to make a deal - it's to ensure that if a deal is made, there are clearly defined and measurable advantages in writing for those who trust us with their firm or practice group."
Frederick Shelton
"As one of the first recruiting firms to truly understand new model law firms, Shelton & Steele is ideally suited to identify the right candidates for our firm. The recruiters respect our time - and the candidates' - by thoroughly educating prospects on our business model, culture, and vision before making an introduction. We are thrilled with the high caliber and collaborative lawyers they have placed with our firm.
We highly recommend Shelton & Steele."
MARLENE LARO
Chief Operations Officer, Partner
Potomac Law Group
Strategic Advisors to Law Firms, Rainmakers, and Legal Platforms
Shelton & Steele was originally built as a national legal recruiting and consulting firm focused on helping partners and groups leave traditional BigLaw environments for more entrepreneurial, profitable, and flexible alternatives including midsize firms, elite boutiques, and virtual law platforms.
Long before remote lawyering became mainstream, we were advising attorneys on how to build practices outside of the traditional institutional model. That work created a national network of entrepreneurial attorneys, founders, consultants, operators, investors, and legal innovators who understood the profession was changing long before most of the industry did.
Today, Shelton & Steele operates as a strategic advisory firm focused on the future structure, scalability, and economics of the legal profession.
Who We Advise
We advise:
• Law firms evaluating Legal MSOs, mergers, acquisitions, succession strategies, and strategic growth initiatives
• Rainmakers and practice groups within BigLaw seeking more autonomy, stronger economics, and scalable alternatives
• Attorneys and groups leaving institutional firms and launching “plug and play” law firms with operational infrastructure ready from day one
• Virtual and distributed law firms scaling nationally
• Investors, Legal MSOs, and strategic partners seeking access to sophisticated law firm opportunities
Beyond Recruiting
While our network was built through partner and group recruiting, our work evolved into something much broader.
Today, many engagements involve questions about:
• AI and operational modernization
• Enterprise value growth
• Strategic scale and market share capture
• Capital and Legal MSO opportunities
• Recruiting and retention strategy
• Governance, autonomy, and long term positioning
In many cases, recruiting is simply the starting point for a much larger strategic conversation.
Plug and Play Law Firm Infrastructure
One of our core strengths is advising rainmakers and groups leaving BigLaw on how to launch highly sophisticated firms with immediate operational capability.
Historically, many attorneys stayed in BigLaw because they believed the infrastructure could not be replicated independently.
That is no longer true.
Today, firms can launch with enterprise level technology, AI integration, intake systems, branding, recruiting support, virtual infrastructure, and scalable operational support already in place from day one.
Why Clients Work With Shelton & Steele
Because many of the changes now reshaping the legal profession are changes we identified years before they became mainstream.
We recognized early that virtual law firms would become viable competitors.
We recognized early that AI would fundamentally alter legal operations.
And we recognized early that Legal MSOs and alternative legal business structures would transform the economics of the profession.
Today, those predictions are becoming reality.
The firms and attorneys adapting intelligently may build extraordinary platforms over the next decade.
The ones relying solely on traditional prestige and legacy structures may find themselves struggling to compete in a rapidly evolving legal economy.
Client Intake Process
BESPOKE RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES
We've heard the horror stories of law firms growing just for the sake of growth. That is not our objective. We comb through our clients' infrastructure to ensure our recruitment strategies maintain their synergy and esprit de corps.
COMPREHENSIVE MARKET ANALYSIS
Our approach is a more consultative and data-driven approach to ensure we don't make those mistakes. We make sure everyone has all the facts before any decisions are made.
PERFORMANCE-BASED CONTRACTS
Unlike typical recruiting firms we offer our clients the choice of a performance-based contract. This way we have skin in the game and are just as invested in an all our placed attorneys' success.
A Guide to Eliminate Unethical Legal Recruiting Practices
DEVELOPED BY FREDERICK SHELTON OF SHELTON & STEELE, LLC
The NALSC Code of Ethics: How Legal Recruiters Screw Their Clients.
The national trade organization for legal search consultants has a code of ethics which, when carefully read makes very clear the lack of ethics they abide by. If one reads their Code of Ethics states the following:
1. After being paid a fee from you, they can immediately recruit your attorneys from all offices except the one in which they made the placement.
2. They can even recruit attorneys from that same office six months and one day later.
3. They can actually recruit attorneys from you while collecting fees from you, if they just pretend, they believe you would have no problem with that.
That’s what our competitors call “Ethical”. We call it cannibalism.
At Shelton & Steele, once a fee has been paid as agreed and assuming there have been no gross misrepresentations regarding what the firm offers), we offer a Five Year, Firm-Wide Recruiting Prohibition. That’s called ethics and better yet, loyalty.
Data Privacy Addendum
Shelton & Steele (hereinafter referred to as “S&S”) and (hereinafter referred to as “Client”) agree that the following additional terms and conditions apply to all candidates, groups, law or consulting firms (hereinafter referred to as “Candidates”) submitted by S&S to Client:
Candidate Confidentiality. Client agrees that all materials concerning candidates, groups or firms targeted for acquisition; including resumes, description of portable client base, hourly rates, financials, client lists etc. shall be held in confidence. Client further agrees that access to such information shall be restricted to only those personnel who are directly involved in the recruiting / acquisition process, with regard to that specific candidate, group or firm.
Due Diligence. Client agrees that no inquiries shall be made electronically, formally or informally about any candidate, group or firm submitted by S&S, unless electronic authorization to do so has been provided by candidate and / or S&S.
Identity Theft Preventative Measures. Client agrees that upon request from candidate(s) directly or through S&S, information regarding compensation, portable client base, hourly rates, financials, client lists and all other information not contained on candidate resumes, CV’s or bios shall be destroyed and / or deleted. This includes all paper copies and electronic data.
Resumes, links to bios etc. personal phone and email information may be retained for future communication.