Hire a real estate attorney with the deal experience your practice requires.
We recruit real estate associates and partners for Am Law and regional law firms. The candidate pool divides between transactional dealmakers and litigators, with wide pay differences between small-firm candidates and large-firm lateral targets. We qualify sub-practice experience before you review a resume.
- Transactional associates with 3 to 6 years of experience form the core of current law firm demand.
- Billable targets center on 1,800 to 2,000 hours per year, with 1,800 hours most common.
- Candidates divide between residential title backgrounds and commercial deal experience.
- Contingency. Nothing is owed until an attorney starts.
The associate pool behind Am Law searches
Our associate pool includes associates from Am Law 100 and 200 firms. Am Law 100 and Am Law 200 firms already recruit through us.
- Am Law 100
- firms we recruit for, several in the top half
- Am Law 200
- firms we recruit for as well
- 14,000+
- lawyers at the firms we recruit for
- 45 states
- where the attorneys we represent practice
Mid-size and regional associates report medians of about $130,000 at 3 to 4 years and $150,000 at 5 to 7 years, with commercial litigation and corporate/M&A reporting more than insurance defense. At Big Law firms, the published scale runs $235,000 for first-years to $455,000 for eighth-years.
Associate compensation splits between large-firm search ranges and small-firm candidate expectations.
Mid-level transactional associates form the center of current firm demand. On national firm searches, transactional associates with 3 to 6 years of practice see posted base salaries between $210,000 and $300,000. National real estate finance searches for candidates with at least 3 years of experience post base ranges from $215,000 to $390,000. New York counsel and senior associates sit between $215,000 and $315,000. Discretionary bonuses tie to billable hours and firm citizenship.
Candidate salary requests reflect the firm environment they come from. In ITG interviews, transactional real estate candidates asked for medians of $160,000 at 0 to 3 years and $175,000 at 4 to 14 years. Candidates in Texas and Georgia asked for medians of $175,000, while candidates in California asked for $200,000. These candidate asks mix lawyers at small firms with large-firm associates. Small-firm attorneys often ask for numbers well below large-firm search budgets.
| Experience | 1 to 2 yrs | 3 to 4 yrs | 5 to 7 yrs | 8 to 14 yrs | 15+ yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base range | $100K to $120K | $100K to $175K | $115K to $160K | $150K to $160K | $100K to $350K |
| Typical | $105K | $155K | $150K | $150K |
ITG search and interview data, 2026
Sub-practice specialization and transaction types separate viable candidates from the broader applicant pool.
Law firm specifications frequently require distinct sub-practice exposure. Finance groups often specify lender-side loan documentation experience, while others focus on borrower representation for private equity sponsors. General transactional searches prioritize commercial leasing alongside acquisition and disposition work. Residential title attorneys regularly seek to enter commercial practice, so confirming commercial deal volume is necessary. Reviewing representative transaction sheets identifies whether a candidate led closings or handled subordinate diligence tasks.
Credential screens are strict at some firms. Hiring partners look for law school transcripts with grade point averages above 3.2 alongside writing samples. Some national firms require large-firm or comparable deal experience, and others prefer it. In-state bar admission is mandatory. Firms also check tenures closely to filter out short lateral moves.
| Real estate seat | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Mid-level commercial real estate associate | Candidates with 3 to 6 years of experience handling acquisitions and commercial leasing. Verify standalone purchase agreement drafting. |
| Real estate finance associate | Attorneys with 3 or more years representing lenders or borrowers. Confirm whether their experience covers lender-side credit documentation or deal-side financing. |
| Commercial leasing attorney | Check whether they've negotiated leases on their own, and for landlords or tenants. |
| Real estate litigation associate | Candidates with commercial litigation experience handling landlord-tenant disputes and developer conflicts. Confirm deposition and court hearing appearances. |
| Senior associate or counsel | Attorneys with 6 or more years managing transactions independently. Evaluate team delegation and client management capability. |
| Lateral real estate partner | Expect questions about origination credit and payout timing before base. |
Practice ceilings and firm instability drive real estate attorneys into the lateral market.
Attorneys leave their current firms to secure substantive commercial work. Associates at small firms face capped career growth when a single partner controls client accounts without a partnership path. Other attorneys move to escape residential closings or to transition from litigation into transactional work. Law firm instability also prompts departures, including merger practice cuts or retiring founders without succession plans. Candidates also leave when compensation lags the market or staff support thins out.
Structuring an offer requires attention to specific deal-breakers. Billable targets exceeding 2,000 hours and five-day mandatory in-office schedules discourage qualified candidates. Transactional attorneys reject lateral offers that require taking on general commercial litigation. For senior associates and counsel, the structure of the origination credit formula and payout timing matter more than base salary. Match your offer to the platform step the attorney seeks.
How do law firms hire a commercial real estate associate?
What do real estate associates cost in base salary?
How should firms screen lender-side versus deal-side finance experience?
What should firms look for when screening commercial leasing experience?
Can residential closing attorneys transition into commercial real estate roles?
How does a legal recruiter get paid for real estate searches?
Opening a real estate search this quarter?
Tell us your practice group requirements and target market. We will provide candidate availability and current compensation benchmarks.