I am a legal recruiter with direct personal experience of what it is like to train at and qualify into a Magic Circle firm; of the highs and lows of working at an elite US firm; of life at a collegiate and prestigious Silver Circle firm; and of the hands-on, client-facing and BD-heavy work at a fast-growing international technology boutique. This knowledge and experience allows me to understand client strategy and demands and to speak openly, honestly and insightfully to candidates about life at different types of firm.From a decade in private practice, I have an extensive network of connections throughout the London legal market and beyond. I have always been interested in people and studied psychology at Oxford, publishing research into the pre-emptive treatment of PTSD using Tetris which was featured on a New York Times list of the best ideas of 2009, before embarking on a career in law. I may never have been captivated by the black letter of the law, but I always loved working alongside smart, funny and interesting people while building relationships with enthusiastic and exciting clients. In this job I get to work with those same groups of people, assisting bright and driven lawyers in finding their ideal roles and helping partners find the right people for their teams to allow them to grow and expand their practice, all of which is hugely rewarding.My approach is informal, pragmatic, non-pushy and straight-talking. Having been on the receiving end of both good and bad recruiters, and fully appreciating how big a life-event a career move is, I will always aim to act with honesty and integrity and put the needs of the candidates and clients first. Please feel free to get in touch with me on LinkedIn or at tom.coode-bate@rocklegal.co.uk any time for a chat about active roles or the market in general.