CBA Record March-April 2025

THE YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

Legal Recruiter By Khurram Naik

I n Steve Martin’s autobiography, he recounts a valuable lesson imparted early in his career by Johnny Carson: “You’ll use everything you ever knew.” Martin’s stand-up comedy blended his diverse skills—magic, juggling, banjo playing, and balloon animals—showcas ing how varied interests can culminate in a unique path. My own journey, transi tioning from a patent litigator to a legal recruiter, has been something like that. Reflecting on my legal career, the skills I cultivated have been crucial in running my legal recruiting agency, where I spe cialize in placing elite legal talent. Identifying Valuable Markets After graduating from law school, I envi sioned pursuing a career in funds or tax law. But, the market for corporate posi tions in 2010—driven by the recession— was abysmal. I browsed the Chicago Lawyer Magazine and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin to track lateral moves, help ing me pinpoint promising areas. This research directed my focus towards patent litigation, a niche suited to my technical background and characterized by consis tent demand. With patent litigation iden tified as my path forward, I undertook three crucial steps. First, I researched law firms and their clients to identify firms with strong patent clientele and growing intellectual property practices. Then I joined the Richard Linn American Inn of Court in Chicago, which allowed me to connect with leading patent professionals. This membership positioned me as an insider in the local patent community. Finally, with the help of a mentor, I externed for a former Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illi nois. The externship offered invaluable experience and boosted my confidence and credibility.

Next, I reached out to former law clerks of my judge and members of the Linn Inn. By actively contributing to the Linn Inn, I established myself as a committed member, which helped facilitate my tran sition. This systematic approach led me to a position at a growing middle-market firm and later to an AmLaw 20 firm. These skills—networking, relation ship-building, and strategic value addi tion—are the same ones I use in my recruiting business. The legal recruiting field thrives on consistent networking and maintaining relationships with firms, attorneys, and fellow recruiters. Developing a Brand During my tenure as a pharmaceuti cal patent litigator, I learned to build relationships in a specialized field and connect with influential players in a high margin practice area. I also learned more about what I wanted out of my career. While other patent litigators often said they wished they could just do the work and not focus just on business develop ment, I realized I wanted the opposite; I

sought ways to market myself. The Covid-19 pandemic revealed chal lenges for law students seeking to enter large law firms. In response, I began shar ing my networking how-tos on LinkedIn. Over time, I honed my technique to focus on ways to be helpful, which I define as the intersection of vulnerability and useful insights. With consistent posting and engagement, I found myself receiving inquiries from lawyers seeking advice on lateral moves. This experience made me realize I was essentially performing the role of a legal recruiter, prompting my shift from litigation to founding my own recruiting agency. My hope is that every lawyer finds a position that uses everything they ever knew.

Khurram Naik is the founder of Freshwater Counsel, a legal recruiting agency placing elite litigation talent.

CBA RECORD 31