Lassiter's strategy places Carolina Legal on Inc. list - Charlotte Business Journal:

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First, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory is a good frienc Lassiter would never oppose inan election. Second, Lassiter's a growing list of local law demand enough of his time that a bid for highert office might stretch the City Council membertoo It's been 10 years since Lassiter launched , and the legal-placementg firm was recently named to Inc. magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest-growingv private companies in the In 2006, the firm generated $2.3 million in up more than 34% from $1.7 millionn in 2003. The 10-employees firm, based in the Charlotted Plazabuilding uptown, has recruiters in and Columbia and S.C.
At any given time, Carolina Legal Staffingy has 35 to65 lawyers, paralegals and support stafvf on its payroll. The firm was No. 4,7232 on Inc.'s list, not a world-beating ranking. But it'x validation for Lassiter, who initially hesitatex to make the jump to entrepreneurship froma human-resource s post at In he was introduced to three investors who were seekin g to start a local legal-staffing business: entrepreneur Pennyt Adams (formerly Penny Parks), First Tryomn Securities Chief Executive Keith Brunnemer and private-equityu banker Ted Gardner. They invited him to run the startu business, but Lassiter was comfortable at Belkand didn'ty want to take the risk, so he declined.
Over the next severall months, however, he becam e convinced he coulddo it. He made the leap in Augusty 1997. "It was me, my rolodex and a he says of his earlg days inthe job, when he leased a smalk space in the Carillon building uptown. Lassiter, a formert N.C. assistant attorney general, worked to leverage his contactds withmanaging partners, firm administrators and general counsels at companiea throughout the state. Carolinsa Legal Staffing initially focused onplacing legal-support stafg with them and with corporate legal departments. In 1999, he boughf out his three co-investors, becoming the sole owne of the business.
Today, the firm generatesz its revenue by placing support staff and contract lawyerszwith clients, and helping law firms and other companies hire partners and associates on a permanenr basis. To maintain relationships with law firms acrossthe Carolinas, Lassiter says his recruiters have to be carefulk not to rob Petert to pay Paul as they place lawyers. "Ww can't go and pluck a prize associate from one clien t and move itto another," he says. "Yo will damage your relationship in the marketprettyu fast.
" Lassiter prides himself on a keen understandinf of local and regional legall players, their cultures and what they'ree looking for when hiring associatews or partners. For managing partners, that offerws relief from the horde of headhunters simply lookinbto "match a buyer and a seller," says Robertr Griffin, managing partner of . "Headhunters are just out thereeverh day, hunting and fishing," he says. Carolinza Legal has "shown a good understandinbg of whowe are, our firm in And they have helped us get in toucgh with some people that are righ for us, as opposerd to just throwing up anybody.
" "I've gotten calls from headhuntersa in Las Vegas wanting to sell says Bill Farthing, managing partner of . By he says, Lassiter is savvy in his knowledgew and understandsthe business. "As a resulgt of that, you can cut to the chase with John very quickl and get to theultimate point."