“From the earliest days, it became very apparent that AY do not adopt a typical sales agency approach. They are people that I trust.
They are the furthest thing to me from the average recruitment agency and I shall always go to them first, regardless of which side of the recruitment deal I am on.”

Head of Legal and Compliance,
Global Trading Platform

“The background, personality and goals of a candidate are taken as seriously as his or her experience and qualifications. Similarly, the culture, ambitions and expectations of an employer are considered in as much detail in the selection process….. they show a genuine interest in their clients and their needs and objectives; understand and meet their expectations; and offer sound and frank advice along the way. They offer reliability and a personal understanding which many of their competitors have lost touch with.”

Head of Legal,
Global Asset Manager

“……a rarity amongst the plethora of bland and unimaginative recruitment consultants in that not only did they take a real interest in working with me to refine what/who I (thought I) wanted but she also ensured that the shortlist contained the best candidates that were out there so that I had the best possible chance of finding the perfect candidate – which I did. I have already instructed them on the other roles in order to re-build my legal team: there was no reason not to…..”

General Counsel and Group Head of Compliance,
Derivatives Trading Platform

“AY was extremely useful and supportive during our recruitment process. On very little notice, they provided us with a number of high quality candidates – one of whom we offered the position to. I found AY to be supportive, constructive and most importantly human during this process and would not think twice about using them again.”

EMEA Head of Trade Legal,
Global Investment Bank

“Often agencies send candidates who don’t really match the criteria and whom the agent doesn’t seem to know. AY has a different approach as they match their candidates carefully to the job specification that has been given and have met and vetted the candidate before they send them to an interview….. assisted in the salary negotiations and ensured that both my firm and the candidate were satisfied after the placement had taken place. ”

General Counsel and Compliance Director,
Private Bank

“AY took the time and made the effort to really understand our culture, our business and the role we were looking to recruit for to ensure that we got the right candidate for us in the long term.”

EMEA Head of Funds Legal,
Global Investment Bank

“AY is knowledgeable about our industry. They understand our company personality and appreciate how important it is to find the right fit. They are responsive, authentic, straightforward and honourable.”

Global Head of Legal and Compliance,
Global Financial Services Company

“I have worked with Celene for over 10 years and have always been very impressed by her in-depth knowledge of the fund management in-house legal talent pool. In addition her understanding of the needs of in-house teams and how they are structured at different fund managers means that you can be sure that you are on the same page when you discuss your hiring requirements with Celene. Celene is always very responsive and engaged and does her work in a professional manner. She will not oversell her candidates and also be clear on when she can add value, which again ensures that you end up working with Celene as a team, rather than having to second guess your consultant. This good working relationship also means that we can informally discuss ideas and plans with Celene relying on her expertise of the market.”

Chief Legal Officer EMEA,
Private Asset Manager

“Celene placed me in my current role and AY has assisted with further recruitment for my team. AY is one of the first recruitment specialists that I turn to when recruiting as they have taken the time to really know the organisation and legal team and are able to put forward candidates that are natural fits for the role and organisation. AY shows a real interest in the success of their clients which is a key point of difference from many of the bigger recruitment agencies. I look forward to working with AY in the future should the need arise.”

Head of Investments Legal EMEA,
Global Asset Manager

“I have engaged AY on a number of solicitor roles at varying levels of seniority, over the past 5 years. I have always found them to be professional, focused and an absolute pleasure to work with. Their experience means they has an in-depth understanding of recruiting for our sector within the financial services industry. They have invested time understanding, at quite a detailed level, the legal support we provide, the culture of the organisation and the dynamics of the legal team which has allowed them to submit high quality prospective candidates in terms of legal skills and cultural fit. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend AY.”

Deputy Head of Legal UK,
Global Security Services Business

“AY offered a very tailored view of the jobs market.  My experience with other agencies was for them to try and shoehorn you into roles that were currently available, whereas AY insisted on meeting face to face first, and then introducing me to roles that they sincerely felt would suit my personality and experience. AY clearly has a genuine relationship with their clients, which means that they are able to be realistic about what a position entails and allow you to make an informed judgment.  During my actual process, they were calm, clear and direct.  This was a refreshing change from other agencies I was in contact with at the time!”

Corporate Associate,
Top International US Law Firm

“AY has worked with me for the last decade, maintaining our relationship and introducing me to interesting and relevant opportunities. Their strength for me as a candidate lies in the trust they build with employers and their understanding of the business. They are honest with both sides and stand apart from other recruiters at recognising a good ‘fit’.”

Head of Legal,
Leading UK Retail Bank

“AY had a personal approach with me from day one, not making me feel like just another candidate on their database or replying to a job advertisement. They made the effort to meet me as soon as they saw my CV and listened to my requirements and needs. They were honest and upfront and gave me advice that was for my interests as oppose to saying what needed to be said in order that they earned the commission – like many other recruitment consultants on the market.”

Financial Services Lawyer,
Derivatives Trading Platform

“By comparison to other recruitment agents who have represented me in the past, I found AY to be excellent…..open and straight-talking and kept me well-informed as the process progressed. In particular, AY gave me genuine insight as to what the role required, the qualities the potential employer was looking for and the personalities of the interviewers. I highly recommend AY.”

Senior Capital Markets Lawyer,
Top Global US Law Firm

“As a candidate, they have always provided me with an open and honest service. They know me and their clients and I have therefore found their approach to be comfortingly pragmatic. AY takes pride in matching the right candidates with the right clients and they have never tried to push me toward roles that do not suit me or my experience.”

Head of Legal,
Global Trading Platform

“Being placed by AY was more like being referred by good friend. What I wanted was obviously important to them….”

Senior Legal Counsel,
Global Investment Bank

“Throughout my search, I found them to be personable, very knowledgeable about financial services, the legal profession and recruitment. I would highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a legal move.”

Legal Counsel,
Global Financial Services Company

“They know their clients very well and manage your expectations reliably. They are with you every bit of the way from your old job to your new position.”

Derivatives Lawyer,
Top International City Law Firm

“Thanks to Celene I have found an amazing legal role that I am very happy in. I had met with several different recruitment agents while I was looking for a new role in London, but only Celene took the time to understand the job I was after, proposed me several different roles and guided me through the interviews. Celene has truly gone above and beyond to meet my expectations and I am so thankful to her for securing this amazing legal role for me. I would recommend Celene to any client and candidate looking for a great job in the legal industry.”

In-House Legal Counsel,
Private Global Asset Manager

“I recommend Matt to everyone who looks for a very diligent, proactive recruiter with excellent interpersonal skills, who understands work expectations with empathy and gives valuable advice on recruitment and career development strategies. Matt sets the definition of tailor made recruitment.”

Counsel,
European Investment Bank, Paris

“Matt is an exceptional recruiter who was able to facilitate my career transition from a mid-level role to a far more senior position. Matt is also extremely personable and I thoroughly enjoyed working with him.”

UK Head of Legal,
European Financial Services Organisation

“….Matt also helped me in becoming better at job interviews and to present myself in the best possible way. He is always friendly and will provide you with helpful advice and feedback even after joining the new company. He showed great flexibility by agreeing on having calls at weekends when it was impossible for me to speak with him during the working week. It was a pleasure to work with him and I am very grateful for his help and advice during and after the recruitment process.”

Senior Legal Counsel,
Global Trading Platform, Frankfurt

“Having placed me in my new role, I found Celene to be both effective and highly personable. She handled negotiations tactfully and went the extra mile to ensure that the outcome was a success for both parties. Celene stood out for being friendly, available and highly professional at all times, and I very much look forward to working with her again.”

Senior Legal Counsel,
European Investment Bank

“I found Matt to be communicative, honest and professional. He took the time to understand my experience as well as what I required in my next role.
He provided honest feedback throughout the interview process right up to securing my current role. I would highly recommended Matt.”

Deputy Company Secretary,
Global Investment Bank

“Matt helped me with my first in-house move from a US firm. He was extremely helpful throughout the whole process, keeping me up to date with new roles within the market and hiring processes that we were working on together. He had detailed insight regarding the in-house legal market and was always proactive in providing me with resources, interview tips and techniques for my interviews.
I would recommend Matt to my friends
without any hesitation.”

Structuring Lawyer,
Leading Global Financial Services Group

“Having worked with Arbuthnot Yon in the past, I was pleased to work with them again and am very grateful to Celene and Matt for finding me a role that I really enjoy. Celene’s personal approach and consistent guidance made me feel reassured throughout the process, and helped me to establish that the opportunity was genuinely a ‘good fit’ for me. Celene has a wealth of industry knowledge and I would certainly encourage others to get in touch with her.”

Paralegal,
Leading Global Asset Manager