PJ Harari is a Partner in Southern California, where she has been since the inception of the Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego offices, which she helped launch 21 years ago. In 2007, she became the firm's Co-Global Practice Leader for In-House, as part of the team overseeing the strategic development of the firm's corporate practice on a worldwide basis. Prior to this promotion, from January 2004–2007, she also headed In-House Counsel Recruiting for Southern California, managing a team of eight recruiters and business developers. Today, PJ's practice is nationwide and focuses primarily on conducting general counsel and senior compliance searches on behalf of emerging market to Fortune 100 corporate law departments across industries, with a strong leaning toward life sciences, technology, and financial services. In addition to personally handling all aspects of those searches including conducting candidate assessments, she assists clients with her expertise in compensation and retention strategies. PJ also routinely advises clients hiring their first general counsel, including with portfolio companies.
PJ, who was born and raised in New York City, has lived in the Manhattan/Hermosa Beach area of Southern California since 1987. She is fluent in French and has traveled extensively around the world, having visited more than 51 countries.
PJ practiced in the corporate department of Gibson Dunn’s Los Angeles office and served on the Hiring Committee. In 1992, she co-founded the publishing company, First Base Sports Inc., which remained in existence for 28 years, and wrote more than a dozen books about team sports.
Prior to joining Major, Lindsey & Africa, PJ established Kozmo.com's Los Angeles operations (in partnership with Amazon and Starbucks), where, as VP/general manager, she hired, trained and managed a staff of 600. Since leaving the practice of law, PJ has worked with a number of start-up and technology firms, advising on areas such as marketing, operations, business development, strategy, leadership, HR and recruiting over the past 27 years.
University of Chicago School of Law: J.D.
Managing editor and one of the founders of Legal Forum
The Anderson School at UCLA (Graduate School of Management): M.B.A., Marketing and Entrepreneurship
1st place in the Venture Capital Competition (for the honor of representing UCLA at
the National Moot Corp Competition in Austin, Texas)
L'Université Paris-Sorbonne: Certificate in French Language and Civilization
University of Rochester: B.A., Political Science, French and International Relations, magna cum laude
Elected Phi Beta Kappa
