Credible.
Capable.
Confidential.
L&C for RIAs.
That's it.
The Claypoole difference
We are set apart by credibility, capability and confidentiality. Our founder, David Claypoole, has nearly 40 years of experience at the intersection of law and asset management and has developed a sterling reputation in the field – not only as a trusted advisor to asset management lawyers at every level, but also as a thought leader on industry trends. Our extensive network of top law firm partners, general counsels, and C-level HR directors gives us unique access to first-rate passive candidates who are not on the market, but open to the right opportunities. We only work with exceptional candidates from the most relevant firms and practices, which is why our placements stick.
Our team closely follows industry news and regulatory developments. By focusing on our niche, we understand our clients’ organizational needs in a way that is uncommon among legal recruiters, offering unparalleled expertise in the organization of L&C departments, industry best practices and compensation structures. When you hire Claypoole to recruit at any level, from Legal Assistant to Chief Legal Officer, your message is being delivered by a team of discreet, knowledgeable, experienced professionals.
Legal Recruiters
Claypoole Search
Fund Recruiters
Our Team
David
Claypoole
Founder & President
David Claypoole, Founder and President of Claypoole Search, handles all of our General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer, Associate General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer searches. With over 300 placements, he’s the industry’s trusted advisor on how financial and regulatory events affect legal department compensation and structure at asset managers. His opinions have been quoted in leading business publications, and his salary survey is indispensable to clients and candidates.
Prior to Claypoole, David founded Parks Legal Placement and held leadership positions with Cadwalader and Schulte. With nearly 40 years of personal contacts in the legal and investment management industries, he has a unique understanding of the hiring process from "both sides of the table." From introduction to negotiation, David saves clients and candidates time and headaches. David earned his B.A. in Economics from Vassar College.
Our Timeline
1984
Graduation from Vassar, BA Economics
1986
Joins Cadwalader as Case Manager
1987
Manages EF Hutton Mortgage Litigation (first RMBS litigation)
1987
Black Monday
1988
Assists Robinhood Foundation in obtaining non-profit status
1989
Manages SEC enforcement action on Hedge Fund Trading Violations
1990
S&L Crisis
1994
Bond Crash
1994
Manages Bankers Trust Derivatives investigation
1995
Becomes Director of Professional Development at Cadwalader
1995-97
Recruits Structured Finance, Fund, M&A, Insolvency, and Derivatives attorneys
1997
Joins Schulte as Director of Hiring
1997-99
Recruits Funds, Structured Finance, Derivatives, M&A, Insolvency, and Securities Litigation attorneys
1997-99
Establishes and runs the NY office of a national lateral legal recruiting firm
2000
Tech Bubble Bursts
2001
9/11
2002
Establishes Parks Legal Placement as the first recruiting firm focused solely on Asset Management lawyers, placing first candidate at Seward & Kissel
2005
First General Counsel placement
2005
First Chief Compliance Officer placement
2006
First Compensation Survey published
2007
First placement in Hong Kong
2007
First press appearance
2008
GFC
2011
First press appearance in Hedge Fund Law Report
2012
First Placement in London
2013
First Tax Director placement
2014
Becomes regular speaker at GAIM Ops conferences
2017
Rebrands Parks Legal Placement to Claypoole Executive Search
2021
First Cryptocurrency Manager placement
2022
Crypto Crash
2022
Predicts impending law firm layoffs in Hedge Fund Law Report's second most read (2/500) article of the year
2023
Inaugurates global affiliate network
Joe
Chafkin
Executive Recruiter
Joe Chafkin is from Santa Barbara, California. He has experience placing lawyers and compliance professionals of all levels at leading alternative asset managers. Before joining Claypoole, he worked as the communications lead for a $7.4B public corporation, serving as a key legal and ESG touchpoint. Joe received his BA from Pomona College and his recruiter’s degree from David Claypoole University.
Helen
Tan
Chief Administrative Officer
Helen Tan is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She leads business administration and development for Claypoole, and previously handled operations for a $17B public eCommerce company, where she managed a team of 150+ direct reports. Helen received her MBA from University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and her BA from Scripps College.
Natalie
Peña-Galvis
Intern
Natalie Peña-Galvis is a current undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she double-majors in English and Advertising & Public Relations. She works as a copyeditor for The Daily Tar Heel and on the storytelling team for the 1893 Brand Studio. In her free time, Natalie enjoys reading and yoga.
Our Clients
We are happy to provide a list of representative clients and references to potential clients. However, given the high profiles of our clients and our strict confidentiality standards, Claypoole does not identify specific clients on the web.
Funds
Claypoole's clients are top alternative managers with assets under management ranging from one billion to trillions of dollars. Key service areas are:
- Hedge funds
- Private equity funds
- Venture capital funds
- DeFi and crypto
- Tech funds
- Portfolio companies
- Family offices
- Funds-of-funds
Building the legal departments at three of the world’s largest asset managers would not have been possible without the outstanding candidates David identified and presented to us for consideration. He not only found great candidates but appropriately matched them to the organizational culture and specialty needed.
Howard Surloff
Chief Legal Officer, Russell Investments
Strategies
With the exception of family offices, offshore managers, and RICs, our clients are primarily registered investment advisors. We have experience recruiting across strategies, including:
- Distressed credit and debt
- Global macro
- Quantitative
- Event-driven
- Merger arbitrage
- Structured products
- Activist
- Long-short equities
- Multi-strategy
I have worked closely with David for over 20 years. As a candidate he successfully placed me at the firm of my choice. As a client we worked together to build a global legal and compliance department for one of the premiere hedge funds. He has always been a trusted friend and sounding board.
Jeff Blockinger
Digital Asset Advisor, Former Hedge Fund CLO
Our Candidates
Claypoole hires the most exclusive in-house legal roles for elite, name-brand managers. For this reason, we work exclusively with top partnership-track associates in good standing at AmLaw 100 firms who have outstanding academic records.
law firms
Placed candidates have trained at the following firms:
- Cravath
- Debevoise
- Gibson Dunn
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Latham & Watkins
- Simpson
- Sullivan & Cromwell
- Watchtell
When our long time General Counsel announced his retirement, we needed a replacement. David was an invaluable resource, producing exceptional candidates at multiple levels on both coasts and insightful advice. With David's help, we ended up hiring a star.
Sharar Marwah
Talent Partner, Venrock
Law Schools
Placed candidates are alumni of the following law schools:
- Columbia
- Georgetown
- Harvard
- NYU
- Stanford
- University of Michigan
- University of Pennsylvania
- Yale
After five years at Simpson, I joined a multistrategy manager that became a casualty of the credit crisis. David saw what was coming and facilitated a great move to my first general counsel position well before things blew up.
Heath Weisberg
General Counsel, CAM Capital
Notice to candidates: Because we only engage candidates who we believe to be exceptional, we are hesitant to take unsolicited resumes, but encourage those who fit the above description to reach out at [email protected]
David does not place talent unless the fit is absolutely right. He is more concerned with his reputation than with this or that placement. He understands that jobs change, but relationships and reputations endure; and David has a well-earned, sterling reputation in the investment management industry.
Mike Pereira
Attorney, Entrepreneur, Founder of Hedge Fund Law Report
David has been recruiting fund lawyers longer than most managers. Over 20 years ago, before mandatory registration, when equity partnership at a top firm was the ring we chased, David placed me at Dechert which became the focal point of my career.