Lacie Marshall
Co-Founder & Partner
Lacie Marshall is Co-Founder and Partner at Onward's Legal Innovation Practice and Founder and CEO of Onward Recruiting, the US legal search firm that anchors the practice. With more than two decades in legal recruiting and talent leadership, she brings an insider's command of how law firms hire, develop, and retain the professionals who drive client value and competitive growth.
Lacie leads exclusive searches across the US with particular focus on roles at the center of firm growth, transformation, and the adoption of new technologies, from Practice Development and BD leadership to Legal Tech and AI-enabled innovation.
Legal Sector Search Experience
Recent exclusive searches include:
Director of Practice Development, Investment Funds Group at a global AmLaw 10 law firm
Associate Director of Practice Development, Corporate Finance at a global AmLaw 10 law firm
Associate Director, Securities Litigation, NYC, for an AmLaw 5 law firm
Data Science Developer for a Los Angeles-based boutique IP litigation firm focused on patent law and building a proprietary LLM application
Approach
Lacie spent years inside law firms in senior recruiting and talent leadership before launching Onward. That experience directly informs how she approaches search. She understands how firm leadership makes hiring decisions, what drives long-term fit, and where standard recruiting models consistently fall short.
Her methodology is research-led and relationship-driven, built around one discipline: defining what the right person actually looks like before the search begins, then finding them with precision.
Broader Legal Recruiting Experience
Before founding Onward, Lacie held senior talent leadership roles inside law firms, partnering with firm leadership on hiring strategy, attorney development, and long-term workforce planning. That 20-year foundation, combined with years on the external side, gives her a dual lens that is rare in legal recruiting and immediately visible to the clients she works with.
OFF THE CLOCK
A few things that have shaped me:
I’m a parent, an adventurer, and someone who’s always been comfortable with a little altitude and a lot of momentum.
Places that changed my perspective:
Solo travel across Southeast Asia. Standing inside King Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Glacier trekking in Argentina (with plenty of wine tasting afterward). A four-day hike to Machu Picchu that delivered exactly the humility it promised.
Things I’ve done for fun (or curiosity):
Scuba diving, skydiving, bungee jumping, motorcycle riding (yes, I wiped out—no injuries), and competing in three half-Ironmans plus more races than I can count. I have a high tolerance for discomfort if there’s a good story, or lesson, on the other side.
Unexpected chapters:
I grew up on a small local airport, washing and fueling airplanes before most kids had summer jobs. My dad flew a Stearman biplane and did aerobatics with me in the open cockpit. I’ve also flown in a T-28 training plane, which still ranks high on the “formative experiences” list.
Vegas lore:
There was a year I went to Las Vegas so often, and did so well at the craps table, that I started getting comped suites. It was fun while it lasted.
Competitive streak, revealed:
I’ve played Texas Hold ’Em against law firm leaders and partners and walked away the winner. Repeatedly.
Lifetime obsession:
LEGO. I have a full collection and am relentlessly trying to convert my kid into a fellow enthusiast. It’s working. Slowly.
Always true:
I love travel, great food, good wine, meaningful experiences, and raising a curious human. I don’t scare easily, I learn fast, and I like a life that feels well lived.
