Matt Ritter is a Principal at Lateral Link based in California, where he focuses on placing partners and associates into prominent positions at elite law firms and companies throughout the United States. While his practice spans the country, Matt has particular depth and expertise in the California and New York markets, two of the most competitive and dynamic legal landscapes in the world, giving him a nuanced understanding of the opportunities, pressures, and personalities that define legal hiring in both regions.
He holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and launched his legal career as a corporate associate at two of the most prestigious firms in the country, Kirkland & Ellis and Mayer Brown, both in New York City. That experience gave him an intimate understanding of Big Law culture, the demands placed on attorneys at elite firms, and what it truly takes to thrive at the highest levels of the profession. When Matt advises candidates on firm fit, interview strategy, or career trajectory, he speaks from genuine experience, not theory.
But Matt’s background goes beyond the legal industry. Before turning his focus to legal recruiting, Matt toured as a stand-up comedian and wrote and produced multiple hit television shows. It’s a career arc that would raise eyebrows in most industries, but in recruiting — where building trust, reading people, and communicating with clarity and warmth are everything — it turns out to be an extraordinary asset. Matt brings a rare ease and authenticity to his client relationships, a natural ability to put candidates at ease, and a creative, outside-the-box perspective that most recruiters simply cannot offer.
The combination of elite legal training, Big Law experience, and a career in entertainment has produced something the legal recruiting world doesn’t often see: a recruiter who is equally at home discussing M&A deal structures and making you laugh while doing it. Attorneys who work with Matt consistently describe the experience as refreshingly different — substantive, strategic, and genuinely enjoyable.
So yes, you could say he’s not your typical recruiter. And for the attorneys he works with, that turns out to make all the difference.
