Dani Barnard is Baker Botts’ first-ever Chief Recruiting Officer. She works with senior leadership to design a strategic recruiting plan for the firm. She devises and executes the recruitment, integration and talent strategy across all practice groups, matching talented individuals with Baker Botts to enable them to flourish.

Over the past 20 years, Dani has recruited thousands of attorneys at all levels, with a particular focus on equity-level recruiting and movement of groups. Prior to joining Baker Botts, she spent a decade as the Chief Recruiting Officer at another AmLaw 100 law firm, where she was responsible for leading lateral partner, associate and public policy recruiting in 23 offices nationwide and at times for overseeing professional development and diversity & inclusion efforts at the firm.

Dani was formerly President of Barnard Legal, LLC, a legal search and placement firm specializing in identifying sophisticated partners and practice groups seeking new positions within law firms, lobbying shops and companies. As President, she handled partner and group searches for law firms, and assisted law firms in opening offices in new legal markets. Before founding Barnard Legal in 2007, Dani spent time as the Director of Partner Recruiting for an AmLaw 100 international law firm. She received her B.A. in Administration of Justice, magna cum laude, from Salve Regina University.