Attorney Testimonials

MIchael R. Goodman Partner, OFWLaw

"It is almost impossible to overstate Stuart’s impact on my career. He is, quite simply, the gold standard for legal recruiting—honest, brilliant, genuinely thoughtful, and unwaveringly committed to his candidates’ success. When I transitioned from being a go-to FDA associate at a wonderful firm to a disappointing in-house role, I encountered countless recruiters, some of whom disappeared after collecting my resume or even made empty promises like informing me that they applied for a position that never happened and may never have even existed. Stuart was entirely different.

While I've known Stuart for years, from our very first conversation over my job search, Stuart took the time to truly understand my background, aspirations, and circumstances. He was a constant source of support and insight, whether by actively identifying tailored opportunities or by generously prepping me for interviews—even for positions I found myself. Stuart’s expertise in the life sciences legal market is unmatched; he recognized exactly where I would thrive and, when my “dream firm” had an opening, he championed my candidacy. Thanks to his advocacy and guidance, I landed an extraordinary role that fits me perfectly.

What sets Stuart apart isn’t just his industry knowledge or professionalism—it’s that he never treated me like a transaction. Even after my placement, Stuart regularly checks in to ensure I am thriving and fulfilled. It is clear that his commitment runs far deeper than a commission; he truly cares.

If you are an attorney in the FDA-regulated space and wish to work with someone who is driven, connected, and, above all, principled, put your trust in Stuart. His insight and methods open doors others cannot, and he delivers on every promise. I recommend Stuart enthusiastically and without reservation to every attorney seeking to make a lasting, meaningful career move in this industry."

Jeremiah Kelly Partner at Venable

"For anyone looking to move around within the food and drug bar, I would recommend you have a consultation with Stuart.  As I was leaving government practice and exploring opportunities in the private sector, Stuart's guidance was instrumental to finding the right "fit" for my law practice.  I have known Stuart for years as we both serve in the Food and Drug Law Institute in various capacities.  Stuart has an incredibly deep understanding of each firm's food and drug law practices; his insights on the strengths of various opportunities and identifying good "fits" was key to my next career step.  Not only did I find his expertise a breath of fresh air, I also appreciated his friendship.  He helped me navigate the process with kindness and encouragement along the way.  Stuart is a gem."

Erica Reagan FDA/Health Care Attorney, Polsinelli PC

"Stuart Tenhoor was incredibly insightful and helpful during my job hunting process. He opened doors for opportunities that I would have never found on my own, and provided assistance in every step of the preparation process. Additionally, he is well connected in the DC area and a great resource."

Kristin Davenport Partner, Covington & Burling, Wash, DC

"Stuart helped me with a lateral move and I was very impressed with his knowledge of the FDA bar, his professionalism, and his guidance throughout the process. Stuart is terrific to work with, has great judgment, and was extremely responsive to me at all times. He was instrumental to my move, and I cannot recommend his services highly enough.

Kyle Diamantas FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods

"Stuart is a well-received professional and leader in the FDA industry. I consider him a friend, colleague, and go-to expert. I highly recommend Stuart to anyone with an FDA practice."

Neil Di Spirito Partner, Di Spirito Law

"Stuart just helped me with my lateral move so I am very familiar with his professionalism and how he has brought recruiting to a higher level.   His knowledge of the FDA lawyer job market is both broad and deep.    I would call him more consultant than “headhunter.”   He was with me every step of the way. If you’re an FDA lawyer and want to consider a move to a new private employer, call Stuart."

Chip English Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

"Stuart contacted me after I was half-way into my search. I had been in talks with several firms where I had contacts but Stuart, realizing time was of the essence, got me multiple interviews with excellent law firms. Mostly, Stuart was an excellent sounding board and never pressured me."

Paul Gadiock Partner, McDermott, Will & Emery

"Stuart gained my confidence with deep knowledge of area firms with top FDA practices. He knew their hiring tendencies and acted as institutional memory on the development of many FDA practice groups.  Many employers did not meet my goals but 2 stood out with Stuart's direction.  I recommend Stuart to anyone seeking a new position in the Life Sciences/FDA space."

Suchira Ghosh (Formerly) Counsel at Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C.

"Stuart is a pleasure to work with. He is extremely knowledgeable about FDA law firms and FDA practices, and I got so much helpful feedback during our time working together. He's responsive, smart, understanding and knows everyone in this space. I wholeheartedly recommend his practice."

Javier Gonzalez-Rivera Associate, Goodwin Law

"Stuart is a one-of-a-kind professional and human being. He knows his way around the D.C. legal market and can get you results, fast! Highly recommend his services if looking for the next step in your career- Stuart will not disappoint!"

Paul Joseph Counsel, Eli Lilly

"Stuart's consistent and professional recruitment efforts on my behalf were perfectly calibrated. He helped me focus my search, he provided insight, and he sought the proper fit over a quick offer. It was a joy to work with him as his reputation as a knowledgeable legal search and consulting professional is widely known."

Stephanie Lee Chief Operating Officer at Petlab

"The FDA legal practice is a niche category and I found finding counsel well-versed in FDA law and AAFCO and NASC guidelines to be impossible.....until I met Stuart. He is so knowledgeable about the industry and knows everybody. He was incredibly generous in putting me in touch with his contacts to meet my company's needs, and I really can't thank him enough!"

Stuart Pape Shareholder, Head of FDA Practice, Polsinelli PC

"Stuart is the preeminent legal recruiter for FDA lawyers and law firms looking to add talent. I have worked with Stuart over many decades. He knows the field, networks tirelessly, is always accessible and sensitive to the needs of both the individual lawyer and the firm."

Tina Papagiannopoulos Counsel Manatt

"I highly recommend Stuart for any FDA lawyer considering a career move and for any firms seeking to find talent for their FDA practice. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the industry and the FDA bar, and he really takes the time to get to know his clients and understand their unique needs."

Ian Pearson Principal Counsel - Health - Apple

"Stuart is great to work with, and provides an excellent level of personal attention, along with an informed approach to this job market. He impressed me with his knowledge of the FDA bar and prospective employers in this market. Further, he understood what I did at FDA and how my skill set might appeal to different law firms. I highly recommend Stuart for his professionalism and the breadth and depth of his knowledge in this field."

Robert Rhoad Partner,Nichols Liu, Wash, D.C.

"Simply put, he delivered outstanding opportunities, helped highlight my skills and value to target firms, secured interviews for me at top firms, and provided sage counsel on the best fit based upon the criteria we established. I received and accepted an offer with my top choice firm. Stuart has my strongest possible recommendation for any partner or group ready to test the market and explore opportunities."

Tyler Scandalios Associate, Arnold & Porter

"If you are an FDA attorney exploring next steps in your career, I wholly recommend working with Stuart. His knowledge of and insight into the industry is unparalleled, and he is wonderful to work with."

Anne Walsh Director, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara

“Stuart contacted me highlighting the opportunity in the FDA world. I had just decided to look at options so the timing was ideal. He found all the FDA partner level opportunities for me very quickly and was careful to vet a few particular work conditions of great importance to me. I couldn’t have asked for more thoroughness, better insight and a greater understanding of the FDA lateral market in Washington.”

Philip Desjardins Partner at Arnold & Porter

“I wholeheartedly endorse Stuart as the go to FDA legal recruiter. His expertise and dedication to matching legal professionals with the right career opportunities are truly commendable. Stuart's keen understanding of the FDA legal industry, coupled with his impressive network of law firms, enabled him to place me in a fantastic role that perfectly aligned with my skills and career goals. His professionalism, attention to detail, and unwavering commitment to ensuring a successful placement make him as the go to FDA legal recruiter. I highly recommend Stuart to any legal professional seeking a new opportunity.”

Matthew Piscitelli Associate at Foley Hoag

“Stuart is professional, knowledgeable, and diligent. Working with Stuart is a pleasure and his relationships with attorneys and other professionals in the life sciences space help him make thoughtful and fruitful connections. I highly recommend working with Stuart.”

Andrew Reidy Partner, Nossaman

“I have known Stuart for 15 years as he has helped me with two lateral moves. Stuart was professional, diligent, and thoughtful. Without his analysis of the potential options and tireless pursuit of the best opportunity, a very momentous decision would have become much harder. I give Stuart the highest recommendation. For any partner or partner group seeking a better opportunity, Stuart can deliver.”

Bill Holtz Legal and regulatory strategist for FDA-regulated industries

Stuart is an absolute pro at matching candidates to positions. His inside knowledge gave me the opportunity to find and secure a position that was not publicly listed as being open. Definitely recommend reaching out to Stuart to discuss opportunities!!

Peter Dickos Counsel at Hyman, Phelps & McNamara

Stuart is extremely knowledgeable about the food and drug bar, the players, and the job interview process as a whole. He works thoughtfully and collaboratively and is a great communicator. He was wonderful to work with as I pursued law firm opportunities from FDA.

Elizabeth Caruso Legal Counsel, US Commercial @ Alnylam | FDA & Healthcare Regulatory Attorney

I had the pleasure of working with Stuart when I was considering a lateral move in the food and drug law space and highly recommend him. He brings a deep understanding of the regulatory legal market and was very thoughtful in aligning potential opportunities with my long-term goals. I always felt that Stuart was genuinely invested in my success throughout the process. He took the time to thoroughly review my resume and coach me throughout the interview and selection process. I recommend him to any FDA attorney I know navigating a move in this niche area.

Law Firms, Corporate and Government Testimonials

Andrew Kulpa Vice President Legal -- Elevation Capital

"Great experience overall. Excellent communication and achieved all our goals."

Mark Brown FDA practice group head, King & Spalding

“I have known and worked closely with Stuart TenHoor for more than a decade. During that period, he has placed 8 FDA lawyers with our firm. He has always presented quality candidates. Without overselling, he provides a fair and informed representation of each candidate’s skills, strengths, and limitations. He has made important contributions in our efforts to further develop our world-class FDA practice. We will continue to look to Stuart to bring the type of talent that sets our firm apart from our competitors.”

Jeremiah J. Kelly Chief, FDA Regulatory Law Division, JAG, U.S. Army Medical Research & Development Command

"I cannot recommend Stuart enough for his support of the food and drug law community, his ability to identify and help place great candidates that share his same passion for this great practice area. I am grateful for he and his team."

Karen Bruno SPRH, (Formerly) Director, Human Resources, AUA

“We had invested 3 months looking for a new General Counsel. After several close calls, we realized this would be more difficult than we thought.We were introduced to Stuart's company by one of our most respected outside counsel. Stuart moved immediately. Within 10 days, he had brought us 3 really good candidates. Stuart negotiated on our behalf and convinced us and our favored candidate, for several key reasons, that our position would be a great fit for both sides."

Mitchell Cheeseman Director FDA Practice at Decernis a Food Chain ID Company

"Stuart has helped me find high quality candidates for positions within my practice and he has helped and guided me in finding new positions for myself. He has a knack for finding the best fit both for firms and candidates. I would recommend him to anyone trying to hire personnel at a law firm as well as anyone... looking for the right position at the right firm. I would use him in the future should then need arise."

Kenneth Leonetti Co-Managing Partner at Foley Hoag LLP

"Stuart has been an outstanding business partner in our efforts to continue to build out our life sciences practice. I recommend him highly for anyone looking for assistance in that space!"

Ted Offit Co-founder, Chairman/CEO and Business Attorney at Offit Kurman, P.A.

"Stuart TenHoor has helped our law firm grow significantly by placing 20+ lawyers with us since his first one in 2003. He has consistently brought us talented attorneys, many of whom we have hired. We have had the confidence in him to retain him twice and he delivered both times. One of his placements is now on our Management Committee and he succeeded in finding and placing the nucleus of two new firm offices--one in Bethesda, Maryland and one in Tysons Corner, Virginia.   Stuart has been persistent and inspired in his work on our behalf. We are glad that Stuart continues to work closely with our firm."

Neil O'Flaherty Partner, Amin Wasserman Gurnani, Chicago IL

“We hired Stuart as we knew his reputation in placing FDA partners and his knowledge of the FDA bar.  In 3 months, he was able to generate multiple viable candidates, some of whom we would not have identified on our own.  After careful consideration, during which time he consulted regularly with us, we selected a new partner. We think  highly of his services. We found him to be creative, easy to work with, and extremely responsive.  We were very satisfied with his professionalism and level of effort.”

David Rosen FDA Practice Group Leader, Foley & Lardner LLP

I have known Stuart for over 30 years. He placed me at my first legal position outside of FDA. Stuart has extensive knowledge of the FDA Bar and of the many different law firms around DC. Since placing me, Stuart has brought numerous highly qualified candidates to be considered joining our FDA practice team. We recently hired Bill Holtz, referred by Stuart, who is integrating quite well into the team and the firm, Foley & Lardner.

If you are considering a move in the FDA practice area, I highly recommend that you seek out Stuart's insights and knowledge.