We were able to sit down with David French, founder of D. French Advisors to discuss his company and the recruiting industry as a whole. A graduate of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, French had a successful career in real estate investment before transitioning into legal recruiting.
Q: What drew you to the legal recruiting industry?
French: Every person wants a career that leverages their strengths and abilities. When I assessed my own, I found they fit very well in the legal recruiting industry. I began my career at The Lyle Anderson Company, where I collaborated with various legal teams from national and local law firms on all aspects of real estate development. I also had the good fortune of being campaign manager for Ben Quayle’s successful bid for the U.S. Congressional District 3 seat in 2010, encompassing Paradise Valley and North Phoenix.
Q: How would you describe the culture at your company?
French: Our team consists of individuals who have been part of local business and legal communities their entire careers and are focused on strengthening Arizona’s strong legal traditions. Our company philosophy is that while each of us has many qualities, together we make an even stronger enterprise.
Q: What makes you different from others in your field?
French: D. French Advisors adheres to a legal recruiting model built on trust and professionalism. While many recruiters focus on volume, we strive to build lasting relationships, which allows us to become an extension of our clients. We have found this approach allows us to best help law firms and businesses identify outstanding talent and position that talent to succeed.
Q: What or who made you want to follow this career path? Do you have any mentors?
French: While I have always been self-driven and intent to drive my own destiny in my career, without sound guidance and advice from mentors, I would never have had the courage to launch my own business. That said, I am in a fortunate position to have my mentors believe so strongly in my vision, they formally joined the team.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working with attorneys?
French: Most attorneys are smart and have interesting life stories. They know the art of conversation and persuasion, not to mention negotiation. This keeps us on our toes.
Q: What do you find most challenging about working with attorneys? And how do you seek to overcome those challenges?
French: Many law firms and businesses feel they know most of the people in their industry. At the same time, most good attorneys feel they know the great firms and businesses where they would like to work. Our main challenge is getting both sides to realize Arizona has become a very large legal market, which we can help them navigate.
Q: Are there any changes coming that you are excited about?
French: Our team’s collective experiences in the legal profession, both as practicing lawyers and clients of law firms, suggest changing trends in this industry. Many firms in the Arizona market are growing their offices in specific practice areas. There are also a number of local firms that have merged with out-of-state firms, or grown by the establishment of satellite offices or mergers with other firms in the state to create special synergy.
For more information, visit www.dfrenchadvisors.com.
