Legal Assistant Recruitment

The best legal assistants do not just fill a role. They make an entire practice group function. They anticipate, organise, adapt and show up for their team in ways that never appear on a job description. Finding that person takes more than a keyword search. It takes a genuine understanding of the role, the firm and the region. 

Barratt Galvin has been placing legal assistants, legal secretaries, executive assistants and personal assistants into international law firms across the Middle East since 2007. Nearly two decades in this specific market has given us something no generalist agency can offer: a deep, current and nuanced understanding of what it takes to make a placement that truly lasts.

When you brief us on a role, you are not working with a generalist. You are working with a recruiter who has lived this world from the inside.

Our founder Laura Barratt began her career as a legal assistant at Gilbert + Tobin in Sydney, before moving to London where she worked at Baker McKenzie and Clifford Chance, two of the world's most respected international law firms. In 2005, she brought that insider knowledge into recruitment. That foundation matters. We understand the pace of a busy practice group, the standards expected at international firm level and the personal qualities that determine whether someone will truly excel in your team.

Over nearly two decades, Laura has built an intimate knowledge of the Middle East legal market. She visits the region regularly, maintains close relationships with firms across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha, and keeps a current read on salary benchmarks, support ratios, firm culture and hiring conditions.

Every candidate we present is accompanied by a thorough brief covering their background, motivations and our honest assessment of fit. We do not send high-volume CVs and leave you to sort through them. We do the work, take the screening load off your desk and stand behind every recommendation we make.

Our approach is built on long-term relationships. Many candidates in our network have been with us for years, returning at each stage of their career. The same is true on the client side. International law firms that have worked with us for years benefit from a compounding advantage: the more we place within your team, the sharper our picture of your culture and what your next great hire looks like.

Legal Secretary

Executive Assistant (EA)

Personal Assistant (PA)

Legal Administrative Assistant

Legal PA

Senior Legal Secretary

Float Legal Secretary

Practice Group Coordinator

We maintain an active network of legal assistant candidates with genuine international law firm experience. The majority of our candidate pool is already based in the Middle East, which means faster placement timelines, no relocation uncertainty and candidates who already understand the culture and pace of the region.

Where a role is best filled through international sourcing, we give you a candid picture of what that process involves: realistic timelines, what to expect from incoming candidates and how to set the engagement up for success from day one.

Our commitment does not end when a candidate accepts an offer. For candidates relocating to the region, we go well beyond the job itself. We share accommodation advice, make introductions to people in our network based on what we know about both parties, and point candidates toward clubs, communities and venues that match their interests. A candidate who feels settled performs better, stays longer and represents a stronger return on your investment.