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Deborah Z. Thompson, Partner, heads our In-House Counsel Recruiting team in Philadelphia. With more than 15 years of legal search experience, she specializes in corporate legal department placements at all levels with a specific concentration on general counsel and other senior-level legal positions. She partners with global, national and regional companies across a broad spectrum of industries, including the pharmaceutical, medical device, biotech, healthcare, financial services, insurance, media, technology, retail, chemical, energy, software and manufacturing industries. In addition, she is a member of our Life Sciences and Healthcare Team, whose member consultants have direct and proven experience partnering with organizations to fill legal and other senior leadership roles across the life sciences and healthcare industries.

Deborah brings a demonstrated commitment to success and an understanding of the importance of developing and maintaining lasting relationships with both clients and candidates. This empowers her to assess what is most essential to her clients with regard to each search she manages, with a strong focus on understanding the organization's cultural environment in order to better gauge the interpersonal fit that is so critical to a long-term placement. Additionally, because she has a passion for career counseling, she spends significant time working with candidates to help them refine, plan and attain their professional goals. 

A native of central New Jersey, Deborah now lives in the Philadelphia suburbs. She loves global travel and is an avid fitness enthusiast who enjoys weight training, yoga, tennis and biking.

Before joining Major, Lindsey & Africa, Deborah worked with a premier contract attorney staffing firm where she placed attorneys in interim and temp-to-perm positions with law firms, corporations and organizations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Prior to her career in legal search, Deborah practiced law for more than 10 years with three large Philadelphia firms in the areas of estate planning and general corporate law. She has also done graduate work toward an LLM in tax law and a master's degree in counseling psychology.

University of Pennsylvania Law School: J. D.

Rutgers College: B. A., Psychology, Highest Honors

Deborah has placed talented attorneys at all levels, including the general counsel, at companies and organizations such as:

  • ACE Limited
  • AmerisourceBergen
  • Amneal Pharmaceuticals
  • Bayer
  • Clear Channel
  • CONMED
  • Covance
  • C. R. Bard
  • Dentsply
  • DuPont
  • Entegris
  • Essroc
  • Gardner Denver
  • General Motors
  • Glatfelter
  • Lehigh Valley Health Network
  • Mylan
  • Penn National Gaming
  • PPG Industries
  • PPL Electric
  • RCN
  • Rite Aid
  • Safenet
  • Samsung Electronics America
  • Seton Hill University
  • St. Jude Medical
  • Teva
  • Vernalis Therapeutics
  • Unilife
  • US Acute Care Solutions
  • University of Rochester Medical Center
  • West Pharmaceutical Services

In the last several years, Deborah has developed an increasing expertise and specialization in working with the legal departments of life sciences and healthcare companies at all stages of development, from growth-oriented venture-backed start-ups to mid-sized companies, as well as large established corporations, specifically pharmaceutical (generic and specialty) and medical device companies and healthcare systems.

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Philadelphia Bar Association

Committee on Women in the Profession

University of Pennsylvania Law School Alumni Association

National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL)

Professional Women’s Roundtable

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