Retained Search
EXJ Search handles senior legal and JD-focused executive assignments through confidential, employer-side retained engagements tailored to roles requiring sophistication beyond a job board.
Ex Judicata helps employers identify, assess, and recruit senior lawyers for in-house counsel, General Counsel, compliance, risk, advisory, and legal-adjacent executive roles. Built at the nexus of legal search and executive search, EXJ Search connects organizations with sophisticated JD talent that traditional search firms often overlook.
Confidential retained search for employers hiring senior lawyers, in-house counsel, and JD-trained business leaders.
EXJ Search handles senior legal and JD-focused executive assignments through confidential, employer-side retained engagements tailored to roles requiring sophistication beyond a job board.
Ex Judicata recruits General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer, Board Secretary, and senior in-house legal leaders for organizations seeking experienced legal judgment.
Search support covers Chief Compliance Officer, VP Compliance, investigations, ethics, and regulatory leadership roles where JD training adds practical business value.
EXJ Search sources lawyers for risk, transaction advisory, technology risk, operating-partner, and senior adviser roles across corporate and advisory environments.
Ex Judicata connects employers with lawyers seeking nonlegal roles and non-practicing JDs already working in business, nonprofit, government, and academia.
Consulting engagements help employers design JD-friendly roles, train hiring managers, refine competency models, and onboard attorneys moving into business functions.
Ex Judicata works directly with the employer to clarify the role, leadership context, business objectives, compensation expectations, and whether the search requires practicing legal talent, non-practicing JDs, or both.
Documented EXJ Search placements include senior legal, compliance, advisory, and risk leadership roles.
Ex Judicata understands both the legal talent market and the executive search landscape.
Built a new recruiting category at the nexus of legal search and executive search.
Led by founders with 75+ years of combined legal, recruiting, publishing, and business experience.
Employer and candidate inquiries are handled discreetly, including outreach to currently employed lawyers.
Access to a platform that crossed 500,000 unique users and reaches JD talent nationwide.
Experienced leaders building a new JD talent market.
Co-Founder
Neil Handwerker is the Co-Founder of Ex Judicata, the world's only comprehensive employment platform dedicated to helping lawyers transition from legal practice to fulfilling nonlegal careers. After earning his JD, Neil briefly practiced law before recognizing it wasn't the right fit and pivoting to a career in business. That firsthand experience became the foundation of his mission. He co-founded Fulcrum Information Services, which grew into a market leader in management education for outside counsel, in-house lawyers, and C-suite executives. Neil later became a seasoned legal recruiter before launching Ex Judicata in 2022 alongside his long-time business partner Kimberly Fine. With over 75 years of combined industry experience between the two founders, Neil brings deep expertise in legal recruiting, career transitions, and platform building to every aspect of the company.
Co-Founder
Kimberly Fine is the Co-Founder of Ex Judicata and a seasoned business leader with an MBA and decades of experience at the intersection of legal services and publishing. As the long-time business partner of Neil Handwerker, Kim helped build Fulcrum Information Services into a market leader in management education for outside counsel, in-house lawyers, and C-suite executives. She subsequently held prominent roles at several leading legal publications, deepening her expertise in the legal industry and the career challenges facing JDs. In 2022, Kim co-founded Ex Judicata to create a first-of-its-kind platform connecting lawyers seeking nonlegal career paths with organizations eager to hire JD talent. Her business acumen and media savvy have been instrumental in growing the platform to over 500,000 unique users and launching the groundbreaking EXJ Community.
The large global executive search firms often referenced as market leaders include Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, Russell Reynolds Associates, Korn Ferry, and Egon Zehnder. Ex Judicata operates differently: EXJ Search is purpose-built for senior lawyers, General Counsel, compliance leaders, risk executives, and JD talent moving into legal, legal-adjacent, or nonlegal executive roles.
Speak confidentially with Ex Judicata about your search.
Combined founder experience across legal and recruiting.
Platform audience crossed this milestone in 2026.
Discreet employer and candidate engagement process.
Tell Ex Judicata about the leadership role, target profile, and timing. A founder will review your inquiry and discuss whether EXJ Search is the right fit.
You can also send us a quick email at kfine@exjudicata.com.
You can also send us a quick email at kfine@exjudicata.com.