After a Year-Long Search, Gridline Found Its First GC in 30 Days—Thanks to a Different Kind of Recruiting

Gridline had been trying to hire its first GC for over a year.

But the role at the early-stage private investment platform—known for its clean UX and product-focused culture—was nuanced. It required deep familiarity with fund formation and startup legal infrastructure and a mindset aligned with a lean, fast-moving team. Despite being posted broadly, the search stagnated. The right candidate never quite surfaced, and in the meantime, outside counsel bills kept climbing.

That’s when the L Suite stepped in—not by responding to a job posting, but by reaching out directly to Gridline with a pool of hand-selected candidates.

A Different Model of Recruiting

The L Suite Jobs Program was built on the philosophy that high-caliber talent often doesn’t come through inbound applications—and great roles don’t always get the attention they deserve. So the team acts like talent agents for its members, scanning the market for aligned opportunities and proactively engaging with hiring leaders on their behalf.

That’s exactly what happened with Gridline. The L Suite spotted the role and noticed that it had been sitting open. Recognizing the match potential, Chris Sands, who leads the program, reached out directly to Peter Bilali, Gridline’s Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer.

“The role had been posted, but the response wasn’t moving us forward,” said Bilali. “We weren’t finding candidates who could meet the full scope of what we needed, especially around fund expertise and cultural fit. Then Chris reached out—and within days, we were reviewing high-quality profiles we hadn’t seen before.”

The Right Match at the Right Time

One of those profiles was Wallis Finger, a longtime L Suite member with a fintech legal background and deep operational experience. She wasn’t actively job seeking, but the Gridline opportunity struck a chord. It was the kind of challenge that aligned perfectly with her experience and ambitions.

“The role just made sense,” Finger said. “It gave me the chance to lean into fund work more heavily, which I love, and to join a team that’s building something foundational. Their product orientation and clarity of mission really stood out—and the L Suite made the whole process seamless.”

With support from the L Suite team, including detailed comp benchmarking data and clear role expectations, Finger moved quickly through the interview process. Gridline was thrilled to finally find a candidate who met the technical bar and felt like a cultural match. The search closed in under 30 days.

A Win-Win, Powered by Intention

For Gridline, the placement ended a long, costly hiring process. But more than that, it reinforced what can happen when the right systems are in place. “What impressed me most,” Bilali said, “was how quickly we got a strong, benchmarkable pipeline. We didn’t just get one candidate—we were able to assess across a set of serious contenders. That gave us real confidence in making the hire.”

And for Finger, it wasn’t about chasing a new role. It was about being in the right place, at the right time, with the right people looking out for her. “The L Suite doesn’t just surface jobs,” she said. “They help you see the ones that are truly worth moving for.”

Community-Led, Outcome-Driven

According to Sands, this story is emblematic of what the L Suite Jobs Program is designed to do. “We’re not just waiting for jobs to come to us—we’re out there actively looking, creating value on both sides of the market. When we find a great opportunity, we make sure the right members hear about it. And when companies like Gridline are ready to hire, we give them options they can’t get elsewhere.”

The outcome? A year-long search resolved in weeks. A candidate who wasn’t looking, but who found her ideal fit. And a recruiting model that continues to prove that the best approach isn’t reactive—it’s intentional.

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