Contingent vs. Retained Search: Should You or Shouldn’t You?
By Princeton Legal Search Group, LLC
Most organizations don’t actually choose a search model.
They decide:
“We need a General Counsel quickly.”
And one assumption immediately appears:
“Retained means paying more.”
You’re not paying more if you have the right search partner.
For senior legal searches, the total fee is often similar.
The real difference is when it’s paid.
Retained → paid in stages during the process.
Contingent → paid all at the end.
Same dollars.
Different incentives.
Very different outcomes.
Learn More
| 
