Philadelphia: lateral market monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 270 lateral moves in Philadelphia from November 2025 to October 2026, 1.9% of all lateral moves we tracked. Year on year, on windows that end a month early, the count grew 24.5% (220 to 274). It outpaced the market's own change of +9.0%.

Partners account for 25.9% of movers, near the market's 27.7%. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 51 to 68 (+33.3%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. 12.2% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

83 firms hired at least one lateral in Philadelphia in the window. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 34.1% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. First on the hiring table is Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel, with arrivals in the 11-20 band.

Litigation & Disputes ranks first among practices, involved in 55.6% of the city's arrivals against 39.9% of the whole market. More lawyers moved into Philadelphia from another city (47) than left it for one (36). A change of city came with 22.1% of moves (market 20.5%).

Group moves were 6.7% of the total (market 1.5%). In-house roles drew 25 lawyers in the last 6 months, 18.8 per 100 lateral moves (market 13.1).

For a firm hiring in Philadelphia, a rising market means candidates have options: move quickly once a shortlist exists.