CYAN PARTNERS LIMITED - Key Persons
Andy's principal focus is on the lateral Partner market in London law firms. He has been working in this market since 2003 and prior to that was a corporate lawyer (willing, but not especially able), both in private practice and in-house.
Andy acts for both individual Partners and teams, predominantly within the UK mid-market and understands the rhythm, nuance and intricacies of these lateral moves. He works across a range of practice areas and ‘leans' towards sectors such as technology, financial services, clean energy and the built environment. Recent successful Partner introductions have been in practice areas such as corporate, tax, commercial, renewables, construction and planning.
Junior lawyers who Andy placed in the early part of his career are often now instructing us as Partners or Heads of Department, reflecting the benefit of building and maintaining relationships over the long term and the consistency of our approach. We are proactive and take the long view. We listen more than we talk. Andy has been described as a "straight arrow" and aims to be honest, clear and transparent in any recruitment process, adding value and providing constructive insights.
Andy is committed to equality and diversity in both his professional and personal life, having for many years been the trustee of a charity which promotes inclusion and opportunity for young people with disabilities.
Andy Wintle worked diligently on my behalf and I felt he really listened, and understood what would best suit me and my practice over the long term. We discussed and considered a number of options throughout the process and his feedback and pragmatic advice was very helpful and delivered in a constructive and professional way.
Chris has been working in legal recruitment since 1996 and in that time has helped clients to recruit for virtually every type of legal role within the sector. The relationships he's built during his career have led to him work on varied assignments, often being trusted with interesting and unique roles, as well as developing new markets.
He has recruited Partners and Associates for Law Firms and General Counsel, Heads of Legal, Legal Directors and In-house Counsel for a variety of companies, as well as risk and compliance specialists.
More recently, Chris has developed a specialist practice placing General Counsel, COLPs, risk and compliance experts and in-house counsel into law firms. He is a market leader in this area and is regularly retained by national and international firms for his expertise and track record.
One of Chris' passions is sustainability and climate action. He is determined to make Cyan Partners the best it can be and to ensure that the company is playing its part in a fair and sustainable future.
He was a trustee of the climate action charity 1010 (now Possible, www.wearepossible.org) for five years. He completed the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership's course on business sustainability management in 2020 and took part in Ride The Change in 2021, a 520 mile cycle from London to Glasgow in the week before COP26 to raise pledges for action via the B Corp DoNation's platform, www.wearedonation.com. Chris is also an NHS Volunteer Responder through the Royal Volunteer Service. In his spare time, if he's not cycling he can often be found on his drum kit.
Chris is fantastic. He has a deep knowledge of the legal marketplace and is immensely well connected. However, over and above his deep sector knowledge and excellent skills as a recruiter, he is discreet, honest and a real trusted advisor. I recommend him without hesitation (and often do).
Job Titles:
- Partner Search and Recruitment
- Specialist in Partner
- Trustee of the Compass Academy Trust
Gerry is a specialist in Partner and Senior Lawyer search and recruitment. He became a legal recruiter in 2006 having previously qualified as Barrister and a Solicitor.
He works on searches for leading UK, US, Global and Specialist Law Firms to develop their operations in the London market through the strategic recruitment of individual Partners, teams, and group/multiple hires. Successful introductions in recent years have been in practice areas including (but not limited to), corporate ECM, corporate M&A, corporate VC, employment, partnership law, pensions, regulatory, commercial dispute resolution, international arbitration, white collar crime & investigations, construction, insurance, and business immigration.
Gerry has extensive experience representing individual Solicitors and teams who require help and advice on moving to new firms. He is known for his considerable market knowledge, strong client relationships, straightforward advice, and honest, friendly approach.
Much of Gerry's spare time is spent with his family which involves watching his three sons play football and rugby or taking them to activities. He enjoys playing tennis and going to the gym.
Gerry is a Trustee of the Compass Academy Trust a Multi-Academy Trust in South-East London. He is passionate about children's academic, personal and social development.
Job Titles:
- COO, Charles Russell Speechlys
We had a critical role to fill and Chris was our first port of call. He takes time to understand both the firm looking to hire and also the talent pool. He is considered, responsive, honest and has integrity in spades. His network is extensive and it is clear candidates respect him. Matching talent with the right opportunity for both parties is not easy and the personal and bespoke approach taken by Chris makes him and Cyan Partners stand out.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner, Macfarlanes LLP
Michelle is a knowledgeable and dedicated legal recruitment specialist who has been working in the market since 2004. During her career she has recruited for corporates, financial institutions and, since 2015, organisations within the alternative legal market.
In the in-house market, Michelle is proud to have worked on the whole spectrum of roles from NQ through to General Counsel and on instructions from first or sole counsel through to building teams. Her clients range from start-ups and SMEs, to international and FTSE companies. In 2015, with the growth of the alternative legal market, Michelle switched her focus to the interim and consultancy market. She joined the management team at a pioneering law firm within the ALSP space and spent four years recruiting and managing consultant lawyers for the platform. At Cyan Partners, Michelle divides her time recruiting for in-house clients and ALSP platforms and is passionate about offering candidates a rich and varied range of career options.
Prior to becoming a legal recruiter, Michelle qualified as a solicitor in the City of London. She worked in the corporate team of a leading firm for a couple of years before moving in-house, to a US investment bank, to focus on commercial transactions. Her experience as a solicitor has given Michelle an excellent foundation on which she has built her recruitment career.
Outside of work Michelle is an active member of her local community and is a Governor of the primary school attended by her 3 children. She regularly reads with the children, supports class time activities and fundraises for the school's PTA. Wellbeing and ESG are also very important to Michelle, she has completed the Mental Health First Aid course and has designated responsibilities on the School Board for mental health and sustainability. Beyond children and work and Michelle can regularly be found jumping about at her local ((Bounce)) aerobics classes!
Michelle is a resilient Recruiter who works well under pressure and with a constantly changing landscape. She strives to achieve the right results at the right time. Michelle has a professional approach to each role and is comfortable working at all stakeholder levels.
Job Titles:
- Director LBC Wise Counsel
I have worked in the legal profession for thirty-five years. Recruitment, retention and resource planning are vital to creating a sustainable team and this is the foundation on which everything is built. There are very few recruiters I have met who I would unconditionally recommend, but Chris Cayley is one. He is of course excellent at what he does, but what stands out, always, is how much he cares about his clients and candidates. His professionalism, care, judgement and integrity are outstanding .
I have known Chris for many years now and he has consistently provided me with excellent service and support. He has a deep understanding of the legal sector. He has a knack for identifying the right candidates for opportunities and the right opportunities for candidates. Chris is able to work across geographies and industries and recognises the importance of the long term in building people's careers and building relationships with employers.
Job Titles:
- Recruitment Consultant - Pro Lawyers ESG
Sangeet is an experienced legal entrepreneur who set up her first law business supporting law firms and lawyers in 2014 and which still continues today.
After completing her law degree in 1991 and Master's qualifications in 1992, Sangeet began her career first as a legal academic holding lecturing and tutoring positions in the UK before she joined the Law Society of Singapore in 1997 as a Director of Training. There, she pioneered the design and delivery of the Society's first programme of learning and development for the legal profession in Singapore.
She then worked as a Professional Support Lawyer in Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's Singapore office before being appointed to head the Knowledge Management (KM) team and sometimes covered Business Development (BD) work. During her career in Singapore, Sangeet also led the KM team of Baker & McKenzie's local office and occupied a dual KM & BD role in a well-established Corporate & Banking Singapore law firm, Tan Peng Chin LLC.
Sangeet first founded Lex Conscientia in Singapore in 2013 before moving to the United Kingdom permanently in 2014 and setting up in Oxford as her base. Since then, Sangeet continues to help lawyers and law firms in KM, BD, Legal Recruitment and other professional support roles.
The start of 2020 saw Sangeet increasingly involved in the areas of Business and Human Rights, ESG, and Corporate Sustainability projects with her clients. She reads extensively on the subject and has developed a Knowledge Bank of materials in these areas.
With almost 30 years of experience in the legal community, Sangeet is well-placed to understand the legal recruitment needs of law firms, in-house legal teams, and non-governmental organisations in these specialist areas. She is also a rich resource for candidates who hope to take up such roles.
Sarah is a law firm Partner recruitment specialist and has been operating in the London legal market since 2005. She has a varied client base and strong relationships within a range of leading firms.
Sarah is passionate about developing close relationships with clients and candidates and finding creative solutions. Clients have praised her fresh perspective to the hiring process, and her inventive suggestions and constructive advice.
Sarah has a particular interest in working with boutique and specialist law firms. As an owner of a boutique company herself, she understands the unique opportunities and challenges open to smaller businesses. With plenty of experience in this market she is well placed to assist such firms with their growth.
Sarah was state educated in Dundee and moved to London at 18 to study Law at the LSE. Eshewing legal practice after much soul searching, she began her recruitment career immediately after graduating and worked her way up to Director level in well-regarded city and international recruitment businesses. She managed, trained and mentored teams of successful consultants from a young age before going into business in 2016 with friends and former colleagues.
Sarah is passionate about social mobility and diversity, and reads voraciously about issues of equality and social justice. She has a keen interest in diversity at the senior end of the legal profession and relishes working with progressive clients, as well as those seeking to improve.
Sarah is a down-to-earth, approachable, responsive and highly intuitive person. She was fantastic in helping find the right firm and role for me; she spent considerable time speaking with me before my interviews, she provided excellent advice and gave me the confidence I needed to be successful. She was also brilliant at the negotiation stage, liaising sensitively and diplomatically with me and the firm to ensure that both sides got a deal we were happy with whilst also helping us build a positive relationship. All in all, I felt that she was on my side; she displayed a great deal of integrity, honesty and even-handedness throughout the process and was always very upfront and genuine with me the entire time, which I really appreciated. I would highly recommend going to Sarah for anyone looking to secure their next legal role