Dominic Perella's Unexpected Path to General Counsel Role
After 20 years in Big Law and tech, Dominic Perella did something unusual for him - he ventured into the job market. The former CCO at Snap Inc. and litigation partner at Hogan Lovells needed to find a way to convince potential employers he was ready to become a General Counsel. Perella, a 47-year-old married father of three, stated in an interview that he had never been on the job market before and had always gone from one job to the next. However, his 9-month search showed him that he could change his career path systematically and secure a high-level legal job in a C-suite position.
From Journalism to Supreme Court Litigation to Snap Inc.
Before entering the legal profession, Perella spent 5 years as a journalist at Associated Press. During his almost decade-long tenure as a litigator at Hogan Lovells in Washington, he appeared before the US Supreme Court and served clients such as Ford Motor Co. and the Presidential Inaugural Committee. He was also an external counsel for Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, where former Hogan Lovells litigator Christopher Handman was the first General Counsel. Handman hired Perella at Snap in 2015.
Perella says that appellate litigators are ideal in-house lawyers because they are generalists, a phrase he heard often from Handman. When Handman left Snap in 2017, Perella briefly served as the company's acting General Counsel before a permanent successor was named. Although he was disappointed not to be selected, he felt it was not his time.
Perella spent 7 years at Snap, serving as their No. 2 legal officer, where he played a role in taking the company public. In addition to leading compliance, he was also a Deputy General Counsel and served as the global head of litigation, managing Snap's regulatory, IP, ESG, and environmental teams.
Taking a Break and Finding the Right Fit
Perella was ready for a promotion but there were no opportunities at Snap. Exhausted from "law things," he was burnt out and wanted a change. He submitted his resignation and worked with Snap to find his replacements as the Compliance Chief and to transfer his other legal responsibilities.
"I was going at a fast pace," Perella said. "It was a great time to take a break."
Instead of immediately entering the job market for a General Counsel role, Perella took a mid-career break. His parents and extended family lived near Philadelphia, far from his home in Manhattan Beach, California. He also knew he had a limited time before his oldest daughter left home.
"I realize not everyone has this privilege, but I was in a position to do it," Perella said of his sabbatical. "It would have been foolish of me not to take some time to enjoy life before moving on to the next step."
Perella mostly stepped away from work, balancing family time, care for his parents, and poodle care, he jokingly added. He went on a European vacation with his family and spent time in rural Vermont. He also did some consulting work for Snap.
"Spending time with family, friends, or whoever is invaluable," Perella said. "Stepping back and thinking about what you really want to do next, without the daily grind hanging over you, was incredibly helpful for me."
Leveraging Experience and Network to Secure GC Role at Branch Metrics
With summer winding down and the children back in school, Perella evaluated his employment options and used his experience at Snap to guide his career journey. He was ready to take on a General Counsel role, having built out the teams that the company needed.
However, as layoffs hit the tech sector, including at Snap, Perella remained calm, believing that there would always be companies in need of lawyers. He leveraged his personal network, including contacts at Snap and board members, to connect with legal recruiters and executive hiring firms at venture capital firms.
Through these efforts, he was introduced to Branch Metrics, a $4 billion mobile linking and measurement platform company. Perella hit it off with the CEO, Alex Austin, and joined the firm as its first General Counsel. He now leads a 10-lawyer team in a hybrid work environment, traveling to the Bay Area a few times a month.
Perella is confident that he has found the right fit for his skills, thanks to his hard work and determination. He said, "I put in the sweat equity, and thankfully, it worked out."
