Matt Bennett is a Director based in Southern California who focuses on guiding associate and partner attorneys through lateral firm transitions and facilitating placements with leading boutique and major law firms across the West Coast. His work spans key California legal markets, including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and the Bay Area, where he partners closely with both candidates and employers to understand needs, assess opportunities, and ensure thoughtful, well-matched connections that support long-term success.
He approaches recruiting in a holistic manner at the intersection of career counseling, legal market expertise, and practical networking. Matt is especially enthusiastic about building trusted recruiter-candidate relationships that lead to meaningful career opportunities and successful moves. He prides himself on communication, practical insight, and a genuine commitment to helping legal professionals advance their goals in a constantly evolving market. He is highly sought after for his ability to listen carefully, provide candid guidance, and navigate the complexities of hiring processes with professionalism and clarity.
Before entering the recruiting field, Matt practiced as a labor and employment attorney, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges, demands, and nuances of legal practice. He worked at respected national firms, including Sheppard Mullin, where he represented and advised clients on a range of employment matters and developed a deep appreciation for the skills, temperament, and judgment required to be effective in high-stakes legal disputes. This background allows him to bring not only market knowledge but also a practitioner’s perspective to his recruiting work—speaking meaningfully with attorneys about their experiences, aligning them with well-matched practice settings, and helping them confidently evaluate both current roles and long-term trajectories. His combined legal and recruiting background informs a practical, empathetic approach that candidates and employers alike value.
Outside the office, Matt enjoys spending meaningful time with his family and enjoying the wide variety of landscapes and community activities that Southern California has to offer. Whether exploring local trails, spending time along the coast, or relaxing in nature, he values the balance that time outdoors provides. He also loves music—both enjoying live performances of all kinds and dabbling in it as a creative hobby—which offers a welcome counterpoint to the analytical rigor of legal recruiting.
