Continuing our significant firmwide growth and our commitment to exceed our clients’ expectations for top talent and business services, Beveridge & Diamond (B&D) is pleased to announce the arrivals of Karen Amatangelo-Block as Director of Firmwide Recruiting & Strategic Growth and Desmond Ellis as Director of Finance. These arrivals reflect the scale and complexity of our growth over the past two years and the value the B&D places on excellence across talent and business operations.
“These hires are a natural progression in our growth as a firm,” said Firmwide Managing Principal Marc Goldstein. “Karen and Desmond advance a multi-year reevaluation of our leadership needs across departments, adding capacity and strategic depth in key areas. With these additions, our business leadership team is even better positioned to support our clients and the firm’s expanding national platform.”
Investing in Talent, Investing in the Future
Karen brings more than two decades of leadership at the intersection of law firm recruiting and talent strategy. She has led attorney and business recruiting at major law and professional services firms and at a Fortune 250 company. Reporting to Chief Talent Officer Amy Tenney Curren, who joined the firm last year, Karen will spearhead the firm’s recruiting strategy for both attorneys and business professionals.
This year, B&D expanded its California capabilities with the addition of seven lawyers from Barg Coffin and welcomed the largest summer associate class in the firm’s history. As B&D continues to evaluate growth opportunities, Karen will be essential in advancing crucial hiring initiatives, particularly as legal recruiting transforms in the industry.
“Karen brings to B&D a rare combination of recruiting and organizational development expertise that will help ensure our recruiting strategy is ambitious, future-focused, and client service-minded,” said Amy. “This is a forward-looking step toward a more strategic and integrated approach to recruiting attorneys and business professionals, ensuring we continue to support our clients and our people in a rapidly evolving legal landscape.”
Adding Depth to Financial Operations as We Grow
Desmond brings more than 15 years of experience in law and accounting firms and a distinctive blend of technical expertise, operational discipline, and strategic leadership. In his previous roles, Desmond successfully led the scaling of financial infrastructure in high-growth legal environments, implemented technology-enabled process enhancements, and fostered a culture of transparency and service within finance teams. At B&D, Desmond will advance the Firm’s finance function by optimizing systems for greater insight, developing best-in-class practices, and integrating financial strategy with firmwide goals to drive data-informed decisions and enhance operational excellence.
“Desmond’s experience enables us to refine financial systems and workflows that are critical to decision-making at every level of the firm,” said Chief Financial Officer Courtney Ricketts. “His ability to lead through transformation will benefit our entire organization and enhance our ability to serve our clients.”
A Continued Commitment to Excellence
Karen and Desmond’s arrivals follow the recent hires of Carlos Acha, Director of Technology & Cybersecurity, and Christie Mizer, Director of Professional Development & Coaching, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to strengthening its operations and sophistication in serving clients.