Our legal recruitment team work closely with full-service, national and international law firms as well as smaller independent, boutique businesses.
Operating across the UK, we specialise in property (residential and commercial/real estate), private client, family, employment, corporate and commercial.
We work with candidates at all levels, placing legal secretaries, PAs, paralegals, fee earners, legal executives, solicitors, associates, legal directors and partners.
Joe Wilkinson
Senior Consultant
Joe specialises in legal recruitment, working in close partnership with both clients and candidates to deliver tailored, high-quality outcomes.
For clients, Joe provides a precise, consultative service — introducing only those candidates who align with both the technical requirements and cultural priorities of the role. His approach is defined by rigour, professionalism, and a focus on long-term success.
For candidates, Joe takes a considered, confidential approach to understanding aspirations and career goals. Drawing on his in-depth knowledge of the legal market, he offers honest, informed guidance to help individuals make well-judged, strategic career moves.
Paige Boulton
Legal Consultant
Paige focuses on legal recruitment across the South West, working in close partnership with both clients and candidates to deliver tailored, high-quality outcomes.
For clients, Paige provides a precise, consultative service — ensuring only those candidates who meet both the technical and operational brief are introduced. Her approach is defined by thoroughness, professionalism, and a commitment to long-term fit.
For candidates, Paige takes a considered and confidential approach to understanding aspirations, priorities, and career goals. Leveraging her deep understanding of the legal market, she offers honest, informed advice to support individuals in making well-judged and strategic career moves.
Danny Davis
Transactional Finance Consultant
Danny specialises in the recruitment of transactional finance and part-qualified candidates into finance teams based across Merseyside and Cheshire.
Danny provides clients with a timely, transparent, and perceptive service, working with businesses across a variety of sectors and sizes.
Danny adopts a long-term, relationship driven approach in the market, often resulting in exclusive relationships with his clients and candidates.
Leia Smith
Legal Consultant
Leia’s expertise lies in connecting legal property, private client and family law specialists with a variety of national, international, and boutique law firms that have a presence across the East Midlands.
With a successful career in legal practice prior to recruitment, Leia possesses a deep understanding of the markets she operates in. Leveraging her firsthand experience, Leia offers guidance to both clients and candidates to ensure the right fit for both parties.
Leia’s placements span all levels, including Legal Secretaries, Assistants, Paralegals, Fee Earners, Qualified Solicitors, Legal Executives and senior leadership roles.
Mark Scott
Head of Transactional Finance
Mark leads our Transactional Finance offering at SJC Partners.
As a true expert in the market, Mark offers clients a timely, reliable, honest and insightful service to those seeking to recruit transactional finance and part-qualified individuals.
Having placed hundreds of candidates in the market across all sectors and scale of business, Mark offers unrivalled advice to candidates seeking their next move.
Mark often works with clients and candidates on an exclusive basis, such is the strength of his relationships in the marketplace.
Alex Wilcock
Legal Consultant
Alex specialises in the placement of legal property, private client and family law candidates into a wide variety of national, international and boutique law firms.
Alex specialises in placing candidates in the Midlands market at all levels, from assistant level through to qualified solicitors, including those seeking senior leadership positions.
Richard Doughty
Legal Consultant
rdoughty@sjcpartners.com
Rich specialises in the placement of residential conveyancers in and around Lincolnshire, placing individuals at all levels from assistant through to “head of” level.
Rich is a former paramedic and when he isn’t placing Lincolnshire’s best talent within the property market, he is keeping the county safe as a firefighter.
Rich prides himself on providing high quality advice to his clients and candidates, building relationships for the long-term.
Richard Ryan
Audit, FAS, EDRM & FinCrime Consultant
rryan@sjcpartners.com
Richard splits his time across audit, accounts preparation/businesses services, forensic accounting, digital forensics, eDiscovery, legal project management, cyber security, fraud & financial crime, risk and compliance.
With over 15 years recruitment experience, Richard is an expert is his field, working with candidates over the long term.
Prior to recruitment, Richard worked with financial services, specifically in retail and investment banking operations.
Nathaniel Jones
Director & Head of Legal
Nathaniel leads SJC’s legal property, private client and family law offering across the UK, whilst personally recruiting within the North West market from our Manchester city centre office.
Nathaniel has vast experience and works with clients on a partnership basis, having built an array of property teams in the marketplace over the years.
Nathaniel calls on his experience to advise the most senior of candidates on their career strategy, whilst activity placing property specialists at more junior levels in parallel.
Paige Williams
Legal Consultant
Paige focuses on the legal market within SJC Partners, working closely with clients and candidates to deliver on their specific requirements.
To clients, Paige provides a right-first-time service, working hard to ensure her clients are introduced to individuals of the requisite calibre that complement the existing team.
To candidates, Paige listens to what people are looking for, what they want to achieve and their key priorities in a job search. Utilising her extensive market knowledge, she then advises candidates with honestly, integrity and insight, working with them to find their next position.
James Cook
Head of Deal Advisory & Private Equity
James leads SJC’s deal advisory and private equity offering, placing candidates into a range of corporate finance boutiques, investment banks, venture capital firms, debt funds, private equity houses and accountancy firms.
Within advisory, James operates across corporate finance, transaction services, restructuring and insolvency, debt advisory and M&A financial modelling, complementing his buy-side work with leading investment and debt funds.
James draws on 20 years of experience within financial recruitment and has an expansive network across the market, placing candidates from newly qualified level through to Partner.
Ashleigh O’Hagan
Legal Recruitment Manager
Ash oversees SJC’s presence in the Yorkshire and East Midlands markets, with a personal recruitment focus on the Yorkshire market. Ash places candidates across legal property, private client and family law, working with a wide variety of national, international and boutique law firms.
As a former conveyancer herself, Ash understands the intricacies of the market and the requirements of her clients. She draws upon her experience working within different legal teams to advise clients and candidates alike, ensuring the right fit for both parties.
Ash places candidates at all levels, from assistant through to Partner level.
Paul Lewis
Divisional Director
Paul has over 19 years of recruitment experience, focusing on forensic accounting, digital forensics, eDiscovery, legal project management, cyber security, fraud & financial crime.
He operates across all functionalities and has a proven track record of success within his niche market sectors. He is enthusiastic about the industries he represents, and keeps up-to-date on new technologies and changes.
Paul leans on his experience, which has been developed over the years, to provide a swift and comprehensive response to the ever-evolving needs of candidates and clients alike, recruiting across the UK, Europe and the US.
Rebecca Shaw
Divisional Director
Rebecca runs SJC’s industry finance division, personally specialising in qualified and senior appointments, commonly at Finance Director and Chief Financial Officer level.
Rebecca works with a variety of SMEs and larger corporate clients, including venture & private equity backed businesses.
Prior to SJC, Rebecca led the financial recruitment division of a multi-national recruitment group in their Manchester office.
Rebecca has a finance background herself, having worked in the finance teams of Stanley Casinos (now Genting), Shop Direct Group and TJ Hughes.
Stephen Willsdon
Head of Audit, Tax & Business Service
Stephen manages SJC’s Audit and Business Services offering, placing candidates nationally.
Stephen has supported an impressive number of clients and candidates, working with accountancy firms of all sizes ranging from the Big 4 and Top 10 to smaller national and single office owner-managed practices.
Stephen uses his extensive knowledge to lead recruitment projects at the part-qualified and newly qualified levels through to Director and Partner level, drawing on his in-depth knowledge of the market.
Steve Crossley
Managing Director
Steve oversees the day-to-day operations of SJC Partners, having founded the business in 2014.
Prior to launching SJC, Steve established a market-leading corporate finance, private equity and accountancy practice business within a national financial recruitment consultancy.
Steve also runs our sister business, Market Mapping Ltd, which specialises in the sourcing off-market deals for businesses seeking to grow via mergers & acquisitions.
