Melinda Wallman

Melinda Wallman is the founder of the London and Hong Kong offices of Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA). She led the firm's international expansion until 2009 and is now in charge of the firm's European Partner Practice Group. She specialises in senior level search and has particular expertise assisting U.S. law firms and corporate law departments to expand internationally. Her practice combines retained search and candidate representation. She has placed partners into and out of AmLaw 20 and Magic Circle firms and has completed regional general counsel and other searches for Fortune 100 companies including bulge bracket investment banks. Melinda has lived and worked as a recruiter in New York, London, Hong Kong and Sydney and has placed lawyers in most of the world’s major and emerging financial centres.

Melinda received her LL.B. from the University of New South Wales, Sydney in 1992 and her B.A. from the University of New South Wales in 1990, completing part of the degree on a DAAD scholarship at the Free University, Berlin. Prior to joining MLA in New York in 1999, Melinda practised corporate and technology law at Gilbert & Tobin, Sydney, then commenced her search career with a major British consultancy in London, developing their cross-border UK-Australia business.

Melinda is a member of the Legal Education and Professional Development Committee of the International Bar Association, an International Coordinator for her law school alumni association, a member of the Planning Committee for the American Bar Association - International Section, and a member of the editorial board of Women in Law. Melinda writes and speaks frequently on issues concerning cross-border search and the globalisation of the legal profession.