David Rolla is an attorney-turned-executive search consultant. Throughout his career as a lawyer at multiple large law firms, David has worked with a range of clients, including private and public companies, in various industries such as finance, technology, telecommunications, consumer goods, healthcare, luxury brands, restaurants, gaming, and more. Now he is pleased to transfer his experience to BarkerGilmore.
Recognized for his industry knowledge and active participation in various affinity networks including those for local and national Latino and LGBTQ communities, David’s ability to understand his clients’ needs when making strategic legal and compliance hires is evident in his legal recruiting work.
How have you transferred the skills you picked up as a corporate attorney to BarkerGilmore?
Having advised numerous companies in private practice, I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with attorneys from industry-leading legal departments. These interactions gave me insight into what it takes to be a successful part of a company’s legal department. This knowledge allows me to seek out certain qualities in potential candidates to ensure success as a member of my clients’ legal teams. Some key qualities I assess include business legal acumen, emotional intelligence, work ethic, risk tolerance, project management, independence, teamwork, and leadership. These skills are critical to the success of an in-house attorney, and I’m able to evaluate these skills and others to ensure my clients are satisfied with the caliber of candidates I deliver.
How does law firm experience help both clients and potential candidates?
Working at two global law firms allowed me to advise many of the world’s best companies and lawyers. This experience ensures I find excellent talent because I know firsthand how these attorneys operate. I can relate to clients and candidates to understand each’s unique needs, matching companies with attorneys that lead to long-term, successful hires. Moreover, the quick pace of Biglaw has given me the skills to quickly and accurately serve my executive search clients.
You’ve described building a diverse legal industry as one of your passions. How has this contributed to your past and present positions?
Diversity in the legal profession is incredibly important! Both individual attorneys and companies are increasingly concerned with building diverse legal teams to provide the best possible counsel to clients, whether in private practice or in-house. According to the 2022 ABA National Lawyer Population Survey, nearly every minority group in the United States is disproportionately underrepresented in the legal profession compared to such group’s proportion of the overall United States population. Hispanics, for instance, make up about 5.8% of all lawyers but comprise 18.5% of the nation’s population. Without getting into the weeds of the causes of such disparity, the point is that having diverse lawyers on a legal team will only increase the company’s overall ability to thoughtfully tackle complex legal problems from various and valuable perspectives.
I’ve made it a point to join diverse professional associations to increase my knowledge on diversity, equity, and inclusion topics. These networks also allow me to connect with both companies currently leading diversity initiatives and diverse legal talent.
Personally, I believe one’s socioeconomic background should not be a limiting factor in the progression of a legal career. In fact, peoples’ differences should be celebrated, and companies should be thrilled to benefit from the skills and knowledge diverse attorneys bring to a legal team.
What is your best advice for a candidate looking to move in-house?
Candidates should take calls from recruiters. As a former law firm associate, I know this outreach can be overwhelming, but talking with recruiters that manage in-house placements should be a priority for those who eventually want to move in this direction. Building these relationships will help keep a candidate on the radar when attractive positions become available. When I was an associate, I didn’t realize companies would retain search firms on an exclusive basis. That means if you aren’t talking with in-house recruiters, you aren’t maximizing the opportunities available. Of course, you don’t have to speak to every recruiter that contacts you, but building relationships with those in a desired industry is helpful. For instance, we at BarkerGilmore exclusively recruit for in-house legal and compliance opportunities. If that’s of interest, reach out. I would be happy to talk with you.
From a skills perspective, learn as much as possible about your particular practice area, but also try to learn about other practice groups. In-house counsel often face a broad range of issues, so it will help you and your future employer to understand a variety of legal matters.
How has your location helped you in making connections and finding placement opportunities?
BarkerGilmore is well-equipped to provide executive search and coaching services across the United States. I am no exception. But my past domiciles and current home allow me to tap into networks in all major markets across the country. Having attended Dartmouth College and NYU Law, my peer networks are filled with incredible lawyers and compliance professionals in nearly every state. Similarly, the various bar associations I’m involved with allow me to network with talent in many cities, which is an asset for both companies and candidates since I can make connections almost anywhere.
I am proud to be from Colorado. It’s changed tremendously over the last decade or so, and there’s been an influx of both professionals and corporations. I’m on the “inside” of this fast-growing market and am excited to help talent and legal teams grow along with the market. That said, we now live in a world where videoconferencing makes face-to-face meetings effortless. After consulting with a company to understand any hiring needs, I’m able to quickly build a BarkerGilmore team of expert search consultants to meet and exceed expectations. In the end, geography is no obstacle for BarkerGilmore, but my presence in the Western states gives me intimate knowledge of the markets. If you’re in the Denver area and looking to hire a legal or compliance professional, or you’re a candidate exploring your options, let’s grab coffee! If you’re not in the Denver market, I’m a short Zoom call away. Feel free to contact me.
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