Manchester: lateral market monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 116 lateral moves in Manchester from November 2025 to October 2026, 0.8% of all lateral moves we tracked. On settled 12-month windows the count showed no clear change: 114 against 113 (+0.9%). The market as a whole moved +9.0%, so this flow lagged it.

The partner share is 22.4%, below the market's 27.7%, so most movers are associates and counsel. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 36 to 26 (-27.8%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. A step up in title came with 9.5% of moves (market 12.9%).

36 firms hired at least one lateral in Manchester in the window. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 62.9% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. Addleshaw Goddard ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 11-20 band.

Litigation & Disputes ranks first among practices, involved in 39.7% of the city's arrivals against 39.9% of the whole market. A change of city came with 18.1% of moves (market 20.5%).

With volume in Manchester holding level, a hire depends on a specific reason to move, which a firm has to put in front of the candidate.