About Simmons & Hanbury

Matthew founded Simmons & Hanbury in 2018. He has advised on executive search and legal consultancy services for many global listed corporations over the last two decades. Prior to establishing Simmons & Hanbury, Matthew held various senior leadership positions, including head of legal practice and head of legal consulting practice at other global search firms. Over the course of his career he has developed an extensive network of cross-border candidates and clients within financial services.

Matthew has in-depth expertise within the financial services sector and has successfully completed search assignments for some of the most prestigious financial services firms in the world. This includes banks, investment funds, private equity houses and leading law firms. In addition, he has completed numerous assignments for corporations across a range of industries. He also leads several high-profile general counsel networking events.

Before moving into executive search, Matthew obtained a Master’s degree in Business Management & Marketing at the University of Westminster.

Jonathan joined Simmons & Hanbury in 2021 to lead and grow the commerce and industry practice. He has specialised within in-house legal search for several years, completing numerous retained search assignments for global multinationals, SMEs and UK based businesses. He works with some of the most well-known and recognised brands in the world. Jonathan has also successfully worked with law firms and consultancies in relevant areas such as IP, Technology and Data Protection.

Jonathan is adept at assisting private equity portfolio companies with the placement of their first In-house Counsel, as well as functional Heads of Legal and General Counsel appointments. Jonathan leads General Counsel networking events, partnering with top tier law firms to deliver industry leading content for a variety of in-house legal disciplines. 

Prior to joining Simmons & Hanbury Jonathan was Head of Commerce & Industry for a leading governance search firm and studied English at the University of Birmingham.

Peter joined Simmons & Hanbury in 2021 to lead and grow the risk and compliance practice. He has specialised in this area for several years, completing numerous searches throughout Europe within banks, investment funds and private equity firms. He also works with consultancies, insurance businesses as well as commerce and industry firms.

Peter has experience of assisting a variety of organisations with senior searches across Risk and Compliance on both a permanent and interim basis, as well as heads of specific departments. He has held several networking events, partnering with top-tier law firms and consultancies providing content on specific regulatory topics.

Prior to joining Simmons & Hanbury, Peter worked within the Compliance & Risk teams for two leading governance search firms.

As the Global Head of HR Practice at Simmons and Hanbury, Peter brings a wealth of expertise and a strategic perspective to the company’s HR recruitment initiatives. With a strong background in financial services, as well as commerce and industry sectors like media, technology, fintech, and crypto, Peter is dedicated to helping mid to senior level HR professionals secure roles across the globe.

Peter has a strong track record of placing mid to senior HR professionals not only within the financial services sector but also in dynamic and rapidly evolving industries. His specialisation extends to building relationships with niche and boutique firms on the buy side, such as private equity, hedge funds, and asset managers, as well as with prominent players in media, technology, and fintech sectors. His career includes successful collaborations with a wide range of clients, including Hedge funds, Asset Managers, Sovereign wealth funds, Commodities trading companies, Magic circle law firms, Investment banks, leading media companies, cutting-edge technology firms, innovative fintech startups, and major players in the crypto industry.

Peter has excelled in making senior-level placements for critical positions such as Heads of HR, Heads of Payroll, Senior Learning and Development professionals, HRBPs, and Senior Reward Managers. His extensive experience spans various European cities, from Dublin to Paris, ensuring adept navigation of the unique demands of different markets.

With over nine years in recruitment, Peter’s achievements underscore a commitment to aligning top HR talent with leading organisations across diverse industries. In his role at Simmons and Hanbury, he leverages his skills in management, recruitment, sales, and networking, complemented by a Post Graduate degree in Executive Coaching from The University of Cambridge. This background allows Peter to offer insightful consultancy services and drive impactful HR staffing solutions on a global scale.

Nick joined Simmons & Hanbury in 2024 as a Director in the Corporate Practice, to lead and grow the heavy industry and life sciences sectors. He has specialised within in-house legal search for several years, completing numerous retained search assignments for global multinationals, SMEs and UK based businesses. He works with some of the most well-known and recognised brands in the world.

Nick is adept at assisting energy, construction, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and commodities companies with the placement of mid-senior legal counsel hires, as well as their first In-house Counsel, Heads of Legal and General Counsel appointments.

Prior to joining Simmons & Hanbury Nick has worked in leading in-house teams at global legal recruitment specialists.

Sarah is the Operations and HR Director at Simmons and Hanbury, bringing 10 years of experience in the recruitment industry, particularly in operational roles. Her expertise lies in optimising operations and implementing strategic initiatives that promote growth and efficiency. Renowned for her hands-on approach, Sarah is dedicated to building a vibrant workplace culture while achieving operational objectives. Before joining Simmons and Hanbury, she held the position of Operations Manager at a well-known DEI executive search firm.

Nishma joined Simmons & Hanbury in 2022 as a Research Lead and Operations Manager to create an operational infrastructure for the organisation to facilitate continued growth.   

After graduating with a degree in Accounting and Finance, Nishma has worked in support/research roles within the recruitment and executive search industry. 

Prior to joining Simmons & Hanbury, Nishma was a Research Analyst & Operations Lead for a well-known market intelligence and executive search firm.

Lewis joined Simmons & Hanbury in 2023 as an Associate Director to work in the Financial Crime & Compliance practice. He has specialised in this area for several years and has expertise across all sectors of financial services, successfully delivering on numerous searches across interim, mid-to-senior and heads of specific departments. 

Lewis has experience of managing various large-scale projects for leading global financial institutions, more specifically high-volume KYC/AML remediation programmes across the UK. Prior to joining Simmons & Hanbury Lewis worked at a global recruitment business, specialising in the Financial Crime and Regulatory Compliance markets.

Libby joined Simmons and Hanbury as a Senior Consultant in the Interim division after years of experience working across Financial Services, C&I and Private Practice Interim. She has advised teams across the board on hires from Legal Counsel to General Counsel (Interim), as well as placing specialist paralegals for projects or key hires. She brings a uniquely specialised blend of placements into leading Investment Funds, Investment Banks, Elite US law firms and multinational conglomerates where she has created strong relationships with General Counsels and Partners to assist with interim hires and projects, alongside a strong network of consultants and lawyers.

Before starting her career, Libby studied Sociology at the University of Leeds. Libby has also achieved an Executive Master of Business from the University of Cambridge (JBS) in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Workplace, and has since consulted many businesses and law firms on DEI strategy for their companies as well as hiring tactics. Prior to joining Simmons & Hanbury, Libby was an Associate at a leading Legal Search Consultancy covering interim legal hiring.

Nick joined Simmons & Hanbury in 2022 to work in the legal financial services practice. His client base includes but is not limited to, Investment Banks, Asset Managers, Hedge Funds, Retail Banks and Insurers. He brings with him a unique blend of experience across both legal and compliance search. Prior to joining Simmons & Hanbury Nick worked in a leading governance search firm.

Alastair joined Simmons & Hanbury in January 2023 to work in the Legal Corporates Practice. He has worked in legal search for several years, with a background in both Private Practice and In-house, specialising in placing Commercial, Data Privacy and IP lawyers. His client base ranges from leading professional services companies, global consumer brands and several FTSE listed businesses. Prior to joining Simmons & Hanbury, Alastair worked within the Legal team at a leading global search firm.

Mathieu co-heads the Legal Department at XTX Markets, a global electronic market maker, which also encompasses XTX Ventures, it’s venture capital arm, having been with the firm since launch. Mathieu started his career at Simmons & Simmons’ derivatives group in London, where he trained and qualified as a solicitor, covering a wide range of derivatives and structured products. He then joined State Street’s Global Markets legal team, where he covered Futures and OTC clearing. Mathieu has over ten years’ experience in helping financial institutions operate in a highly regulated environment. Mathieu provides non-executive director services to the board of Hanbury Partners and advises the group on diversity & inclusion initiatives.

Sunil co-heads the Legal Department at XTX Markets, a global electronic market maker, which also encompasses XTX Ventures, it’s venture capital arm, having been with the firm since launch. Prior to that, Sunil was at Morgan Stanley in the Fixed Income legal team, having joined there from Linklaters where he trained and qualified into the Derivatives and Structured Products team. Sunil has over a decade of legal experience in financial services, covering a variety of different disciplines and business areas; spanning the buy and sell side. Sunil provides non-executive director services to the board of Hanbury Partners as well as advising the group on diversity & inclusion initiatives. Sunil is also a trustee of the Aspiring Solicitors Foundation, a legal social mobility charity supported by Simmons & Hanbury and Hanbury Partners.