Kerwin Associates is a legal placement firm dedicated to recruiting outstanding individuals. We have
facilitated hundreds of in-house and law firm placements with Silicon Valley and Bay Area industry leaders.

We firmly believe the better our connection with candidates and clients, the more productive and effective we are in matching candidates’ experiences, qualifications, and personal styles to meet clients’ needs. By developing strong working relationships, we bring the best people together in creating successful legal teams. We believe that quality is more important than quantity.

Kerwin Associates specializes in building legal teams for corporate legal departments. Throughout our twenty plus years of experience, we have learned the reputations of many, if not most, of the corporate legal departments in the San Francisco Bay Area, and worked with numerous legal departments on attorney searches encompassing all areas of the law. We enjoy establishing relationships with a few companies at a time and partnering with them to build their legal departments. We have strong, long-standing relationships with preeminent corporate legal teams, and we implicitly understand the caliber of candidate necessary to fill each position.

Today, Kerwin Associates continues to place attorneys, contracts managers and paralegals in corporations and law firms. With its experience, connections, and belief in finding the best fit for its candidates and clients, Kerwin Associates remains a successful leader in legal recruiting.

Kerwin Associates also offers outplacement and coaching services to individuals and companies.

Anne Kerwin Payne-Managing Director

Anne Kerwin Payne has twenty three years of legal recruiting experience resulting in extensive knowledge of clients and candidates in the Northern California Legal Marketplace. Anne has worked closely with a number of preeminent corporations and law firms. She began her legal recruiting career as an associate at Seaton-Russo, Inc. and was one of the first recruiters in Northern California to focus on the in-house marketplace. Anne recognized that in-house legal departments offered lawyers tangible benefits and opportunities and thus began focusing her time and resources on placing attorneys in-house. Requests for Kerwin Associates’ services continued to grow in demand as attorneys found happiness working in-house, closer to “business” and without billable hours.

Anne enjoys meeting people - learning about different companies’ cultures and products and hearing candidate’s unique career stories. She enjoys the challenge of her recruiting practice and partnering with her clients to find the right “fit”. Anne believes that the people you work and connect with make your work experience what it is. When not working, Anne enjoys spending time with her family, friends and dogs. Exercise including hikes with friends, time in the gym and competitive tennis has kept her positive during these economic times. Anne believes in giving back to the community and in particular, women in sports, and is currently serving on the Board of the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative.

Kathleen Britschgi-Recruiter/Marketing Associate

Kathleen Britschgi has an extensive background in the advertising marketplace, including years working with Bernard Hodes Group, a leader in the Recruitment Advertising industry. There, Kathleen worked closely with all types of clients from technology to retail. Her main role was to manage client’s recruitment strategy and advertising placement, which began with learning a company’s philosophy, culture, and personality to ensure the recruitment advertising was on target. Kathleen also has a strong background in business development and marketing, and she enjoys working closely with clients to deliver what they need. At Kerwin Associates, Kathleen is handling the Contracts Manager and Paralegal searches for the firm, in addition to handling marketing and research. When not working, Kathleen enjoys spending time with her family, and watching her kids play sports. She likes traveling, exercising – especially running – and relaxing with friends.