Lawdragon Names Five MLA Partners to Its 2025 Global 100 Leaders in Legal Strategy & Consulting

(Hanover, MD April 28, 2025) — Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA), the world’s leading legal search firm, announced today that five of its partners—Deborah Ben-Canaan, Robert J. Brigham, Melba Hughes, Jacquelyn Knight and Jon Lindsey—have been recognized for the fourth consecutive year by Lawdragon in its 2025 Lawdragon Global 100 Leaders in Legal Strategy & Consulting guide for their achievements in legal recruiting. This is the 11th edition of Lawdragon’s annual guide, which relies upon submissions, journalistic research, and peer vetting.

“It is an honor to have our exceptional recruiters continually earn and be recognized for their excellence in legal recruiting,” said John Cashman, president of Major, Lindsey & Africa. “Deb, Bob, Melba, Jackie, and Jon are among the finest in the industry, and we are proud to have them represent Major, Lindsey & Africa in 2025.”

Deborah Ben-Canaan is MLA’s Global Practice Leader for In-House Recruiting and has placed more than 1,000 senior-level legal leaders in corporate legal departments across the U.S. and assisted her U.S. clients in making strategic placements overseas across our EMEA and APAC regions. She works with CEOs, boards, CHROs and general counsel at organizations of all sizes to help them shape, grow and develop their legal departments. Deborah has completed a variety of high-level placements at organizations including Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), McKinsey & Company, Smithsonian Institution, Georgetown University and Duke University. This is the sixth straight year Deb has been named to the Lawdragon Global 100.

Robert Brigham's extensive experience as a partner in an AmLaw 100 firm in the Bay Area has given him a thorough understanding of practices important to clients in this market. This perspective is valuable when advising law firm clients on lateral partner searches or candidates on lateral opportunities. He provides counsel to law firm partners on career issues, including insights into the Northern California law firm market, and representation if they consider moving firms. Bob has been recognized by Lawdragon for five consecutive years. He is currently away from MLA on leave serving his church community.

Melba Hughes joined MLA as a partner in 2012 and currently serves as an Executive Director and a member of the Management Team. She leads In-House Counsel Recruiting on the East Coast and the Board Services Practice. A change agent and innovative leader, Melba continues to be instrumental in placing general counsel in Fortune 500 companies and educational institutions, such as McDonald’s, Phillips 66, Match Group, Inc., MOMA, The New York Public Library and Emory University. She is a founding member of the MLA GC Academy. This is the fourth year in a row Lawdragon has recognized Melba.

Jacquelyn Knight has successfully counseled hundreds of partners of varied backgrounds in their placements in mid-sized and large national and global firms as well as groups of partners on complex searches. Over the last decade, she has worked with many high-profile attorneys and groups, some with a multi-geographic practice focus. An expert in the lateral partner market, she regularly conducts targeted searches in order to complete strategic placements in varied areas of practice. Much of Jackie’s client work is repeat work, given the success of her placements, and most of her partner candidates are referred by partners she placed through a successful candidate interview process and integration. This is the sixth consecutive year that Jackie has been recognized by Lawdragon.

Jon Lindsey is an icon in the legal recruiting profession and the New York founding partner of Major, Lindsey & Africa. In addition to being named a Lawdragon honoree for the seventh time, Jon is also a member of Lawdragon’s inaugural Hall of Fame, recognizing “those consultants whose strategic insight has been unsurpassed in a career dedicated to helping law firms ascend.” Over the past three decades, Jon has placed some of the nation’s most prominent lateral partners and groups, worked with top-level government attorneys returning to private practice, and facilitated law firm mergers. As the former global co-chair of MLA’s Partner Practice Group, Jon helped to set strategy and coordinate the partner practice for the firm's more than two dozen domestic and international offices.

Lawdragon, a legal media company, showcases and recognizes the nation's leading lawyers and legal service providers. The 100 leaders recognized by Lawdragon are among the world's most valued management, marketing, communication and recruiting professionals by law firm leaders.