How Dentons digitized lateral partner recruitment and eliminated coordination bottlenecks
100%
Candidate intake digitized, with zero static forms or email submissions
Real-time
Application visibility for the recruiting committee, replacing manual tracking
1-click
Full application PDF export, replacing manual compilation and formatting
~0
Manual document coordination steps between agencies, candidates, and committees
Industry
Legal Services
Organization
Dentons, one of the world's largest law firms, running a complex lateral partner recruitment process spanning external agencies, candidates, and internal recruiting committees
Challenge
Candidate intake through static forms and email, no centralized visibility, manual coordination across agencies and committee members, high administrative burden, and no unified system.
Solution
A secure, web-based Lateral Candidate Questionnaire Platform with five integrated modules: Candidate Intake, Committee Portal, Recruiter Workflow, Resource Management, and Access Controls.
The Challenge
Dentons' lateral partner recruitment involved multiple parties (external recruiting agencies, candidates, and an internal recruiting committee), but no system connected them. Application materials arrived as static documents in email threads. Committee members had no live view of where candidates stood. Recruiters and agencies had no structured workflow to coordinate on. Final application packages required hours of manual assembly. The process was entirely person-dependent, and it did not scale.
Candidate information collected through static documents and email threads
Questionnaires were static files sent and returned by email, with no version control, no progress tracking, and no way to validate completeness before review.
Recruiting committee lacked centralized visibility into application progress
Committee members had to chase updates individually. There was no shared view of who had applied, who had been reviewed, or where any candidate stood in the process.
External agencies and candidates collaborated without a structured workflow
There was no defined handoff between recruiting agencies, their candidates, and the firm. Coordination happened informally, creating gaps and miscommunications.
Application reviews required manual coordination across stakeholders
Assigning reviewers, collecting feedback, and tracking decisions all happened through email chains with no accountability or history in a single place.
Final application packages required significant administrative effort
Assembling a complete candidate package for committee review meant manually gathering documents, formatting content, and compiling a PDF, consuming hours of administrative time per candidate.
No unified system for submissions, documents, reviews, and reporting
Candidate submissions, supporting documents, reviewer assignments, and reporting all lived in separate tools or inboxes. There was no single source of truth for the recruitment pipeline.
The Solution
Attri built a secure, role-based web platform that digitizes the entire lateral partner recruitment lifecycle, from the moment a candidate is introduced by an agency through committee review and final decision. Five integrated modules replace the fragmented email workflow with structured, auditable digital processes.
Candidate Intake Portal
Multi-step guided questionnaire with progress tracking and draft saving. Candidates can complete the application in stages, upload supporting documents, and submit when ready, with all inputs validated before submission.
Recruiting Committee Portal
Committee members see a live dashboard of all active candidates, can search and filter by status, assign reviewers, view submitted documents, and export complete application packages with one click.
Recruiter Collaboration Workflow
Structured handoffs between external recruiting agencies and their candidates, with defined roles, notification triggers, and a clear record of who introduced which candidate and when.
Resource & Governance Management
Centralized distribution of questionnaire templates, policy documents, and guidance materials, ensuring all participants work from current, approved versions. Admin controls for template versioning and access.
Secure Authentication & Access Controls
Role-based access controls ensure each user type (candidate, recruiter, committee member, admin) sees only what they need. MFA-enabled authentication and Azure deployment readiness built in from the start.
Additional Features
Agency Introduction
Recruiter registers the candidate to start a tracked, auditable pipeline entry.
Candidate Intake
Guided multi-step portal with progress tracking and draft saving.
Document Submission
Upload and validate supporting documents before review.
Committee Review
Assign and track reviewers with notifications and decision history.
Decision & Export
One-click PDF package generation for the complete, formatted application.
Works with your existing tools
The Results
| Metric | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate intake process | Static forms returned by email, no progress tracking | Centralized digital workflow with validation and draft saving |
| Application visibility | Manual tracking, status unknown without chasing | Real-time monitoring, committee sees all candidates at a glance |
| Reviewer coordination | Email chains, no accountability, lost decisions | Structured reviewer assignment with notifications and history |
| Document management | Distributed across inboxes and local drives | Single secure platform with version control |
| Application export | Hours of manual compilation per candidate | One-click PDF generation, complete, formatted package |
| Administrative effort | High manual effort, person-dependent, error-prone | Streamlined operations, platform handles coordination automatically |
| Security governance | Limited visibility, uncontrolled document sharing | Role-based controlled access with audit trail for all actions |
Every stage of the lateral hire process, from agency introduction to final committee decision, is now tracked, structured, and auditable in one platform.
Committee members see live application status without chasing emails, and admins have a complete picture of the pipeline at all times.
A guided, professional intake portal sets the right tone for high-caliber lateral candidates, reinforcing the firm brand at the first touchpoint.
Why It Worked
Built for law firm recruitment workflows
The platform understands the specific dynamics of lateral hiring: the recruiter-candidate-committee triangle, confidentiality requirements, and the need for a complete, portable candidate package.
Structured accountability at every stage
A clear handoff chain from agency introduction through committee decision means every action is attributed, every decision is logged, and nothing slips through the cracks.
Secure by design from day one
Role-based access, MFA authentication, and Azure deployment readiness were architecture decisions, not additions. Candidate data and committee deliberations stay where they belong.
Real-time operational visibility
Committee members see live application status without chasing emails. Admins have a complete picture of the pipeline at all times: active, pending, and completed applications.
Candidate experience that reflects the firm
A guided, professional intake portal sets the right tone for high-caliber lateral candidates, reinforcing Dentons' brand at the very first touchpoint in the recruitment journey.
Security & Compliance
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