Brooks Pierce has hired three new professionals to direct key areas within the growing firm: Gail Cutter as recruiting director, Laura Hudson as marketing director and Teresa Plunkett as director of information technology.
“These are three professionals who have more than 60 years of combined experience in the legal industry, but who represent the new generation of sophisticated management in our profession,” said Ed Winslow, the firm’s managing partner. “They will add tremendous, unmatched value to Brooks Pierce and Brooks Pierce clients.”
Cutter will lead all lateral recruiting and hiring efforts and will also work with the nation’s top law schools to bring the best new legal talent to the firm. She will also oversee the summer associate program and associate integration. A former Wall Street corporate lawyer, Cutter has more than 20 years of experience in legal recruiting, professional development and career counseling. She has worked on all sides of recruiting—at three law schools (New York University, Duke University and Hofstra University), on the law firm side as chief officer of associate development and recruiting at a global law firm (Dechert), and as a top producer for a leading New York search firm. Cutter received her bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and her law degree from Columbia University.
Hudson brings 16 years of legal marketing experience to Brooks Pierce, and as marketing director will oversee the firm’s strategic marketing, communications and business development efforts. She served as marketing director at Poyner Spruill and as the senior manager for business development at Nexsen Pruet prior to joining Brooks Pierce. Hudson’s wide range of expertise includes branding, public relations, communications and strategic business development. She has served on several industry boards, most notably on the international board of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA), where she co-chaired the association’s Governance Task Force and Governance Committees. She is also the founder of the LMA’s Raleigh City Group. Hudson earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her master’s degree in communications from the University of Georgia.
As director of information technology, Plunkett will lead the firm as it continues to expand its sophisticated IT infrastructure. Plunkett has more than 25 years of experience in the law office automation industry, having been involved in network analysis and recommendations for firms of all sizes. Plunkett’s core areas of expertise include software integration, project management and network administration and support. Prior to joining Brooks Pierce, she served as the vice president of training and application support at William Ives Consulting for more than 22 years and was widely recognized as an integral part of the senior management team. Plunkett received her bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University and her MBA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.