About
NagataConnex specializes in the recruitment and placement of lawyers at all levels of seniority into law firms and corporations. We also have experience in handling recruitment for paraprofessionals, legal support staff and non-traditional legal roles including corporate secretaries, compliance officers and corporate development roles.
NagataConnex was founded in 2004. Since then, we have developed a reputation for providing excellent personalized service and being highly professional. We are involved with every mandate as we value the importance of personally establishing a relationship with clients. As a result, clients continue to use our services and seek our advice.
Our Strategy
We employ a comprehensive search and recruitment service comprised of three techniques: headhunting, database search and advertising. This approach enables us to deliver a shortlist of exceptional candidates with the right skill set and personality for your position.

Headhunting
Headhunting is essential to running a successful recruitment campaign. We recognize that some of the best candidates for your position may not be actively looking for a career change. Headhunting is highly effective in making these candidates aware of your opportunity.
Successful recruitment requires trust. We have a reputation for being discrete and professional when contacting potential candidates. This means that candidates respond positively when we connect with them.

Database Search
Our reputation in the industry connects us with exceptional legal professionals. This means our database is constantly updated with lawyers, paraprofessionals and support staff who are receptive to a career change. In addition, we have a researcher on staff who analyzes the market and regularly adds candidates to our database.

Advertising
Advertising increases your opportunity’s visibility to a broader audience. We use both print and online media to ensure maximum exposure. This ensures professionals who are both actively seeking new opportunities and those with a passive interest are more likely to notice and respond to your opportunity. We personally create any required advertisements, liaise with printers and arrange publication.
Our Team

Lorene Nagata
Lorene was born and raised in Toronto. She has also lived and worked in the UK and Japan. She practiced law at a well-known litigation boutique before moving into legal recruitment in 1997, founding NagataConnex in 2004. NagataConnex is now one of the most respected legal recruitment firms in Canada, servicing both law firms and corporations. Lorene’s reputation for excellence has spread outside Canada. She has fulfilled assignments worldwide, including London, mainland Europe, Asia and offshore.
In addition to her LL.B., Lorene has a B.A. in Psychology and has taken a number of key courses in career counseling and planning. She is also qualified to administer a number of psychometric assessments (EQi, EQ360, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Hogan Personality Inventory, Hogan Development Survey, and the Motives Values Preferences Inventory.)
Personally, Lorene was involved in rowing for many years. She collected numerous medals and accolades from her time at Western University and with the Argonaut Rowing Club. Training as a rowing coach has provided her with a great deal of insight into how people tick and what affects the fine balance of an effective and productive team. In 2017, Lorene summited Kilimanjaro.
Lorene has sat on the Board of Directors of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. She was chosen to join the Japanese Canadian Leadership Delegation to Japan in 2010. She is also a former chair of the Sedai project, an initiative that recorded the experiences of Japanese Canadians interred during the Second World War, which received the Governor General Finalist Award.

Lesa Ong
Prior to joining NagataConnex as a Recruitment Consultant, Lesa practiced as a commercial litigator with a boutique firm in Toronto. She soon realized that litigating was not her passion, but was not ready to give up on a career in the legal industry. She decided to try her hand at recruiting, and has been happily doing so since 2009.
She has worked with law firms and corporations, successfully placing lawyers with all levels of experience into their respective organizations. She has presented at various conferences and panels on topics relating to legal recruitment and career counselling.
Lesa has an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School, as well as an undergraduate degree in Psychology from York University. She is also qualified to administer psychometric assessments (Hogan Personality Inventory, Hogan Development Survey, and the Motives Values Preferences Inventory.)