Kathryn Holt Richardson is an expert in lateral partner recruiting and supports top-performing partners throughout their careers. She has placed in-house attorneys at every level including General Counsel and she partners with select associates to maximize their happiness and success. Kathy believes that everyone deserves to love their job and she has spent her entire adult life facilitating rewarding career connections. Her dream job is supporting others as they pursue their dream job.
Kathy founded HR Legal Search in 2006. She values both her candidates and her clients, listens to their unique needs and strives to strike the perfect match. HR Legal Search has been named by Texas Lawyer as Texas’ Best Legal Recruiting Firm since 2011. Kathy is in this business for the long haul and she prides herself on the long term success and happiness of her placements.
Kathy’s depth of experience comes from years of recruiting leadership. Kathy spent six years in charge of the Career Services Office at UT Law School where as the Assistant Dean for Career Services, she guided thousands of law students in their nascent careers. She connected with hundreds of legal employers and gained a deep understanding of what law firms are seeking when they add talent to their team. She maintains those strong relationships to this day. In 2004, she co-founded the Austin office of Major, Lindsey & Africa where, as a top producer, she was tapped to lead the associate practice group in Texas. She has successfully placed hundreds of lawyers throughout her career.
Today Kathy is a thought leader in the legal recruiting space and is frequently invited to speak on myriad topics in the legal industry including lateral partner recruiting, in-house compensation trends, branding and business development, negotiation tips to maximize compensation, work life balance for lawyers, and best practices for successful diversity recruiting.
She has served on the Steering Committee of the Texas Minority Counsel Program for the State Bar of Texas for over five years. She has been a frequent speaker and active member of the Corporate Counsel Women of Color since its inception. She has been a regular participant in the NBA Commercial Law Section and, along with a team of high-profile in-house lawyers and law firm partners, is creating the first digital directory of black attorneys nationwide. She has been invited to present for the National Association of Law Placement (NALP) on dozens of panels and served as the Vice-Chair of NALP’s Recruitment Practices Committee. Harvard Law School has trusted Kathy as their go-to expert on the Texas Legal Market for over a decade. Kathy continues to be involved with The University of Texas School of Law and was recently a co-chair of the class of 1995 reunion committee. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the Center for Women in Law and an active member of the Austin Black Lawyers Association. She has been quoted in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Austin American Statesman.
Kathy earned her B.A. in International Affairs from The American University in Washington, D.C. While at American, Kathy worked full time for the Career Center. Kathy earned her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law in 1995. Kathy enjoys time with her sons, hiking, yoga, multiple book clubs, the East Austin art scene, and off the beaten path international travel. She has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro twice and will continue until she reaches Uhuru Peak.