San Diego: lateral market monitor

In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 126 lawyers joined a new firm in San Diego from November 2025 to October 2026, 0.9% of all lateral moves we tracked. On settled windows the count went from 118 to 128 (+8.5%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

With partners at 27.8% of arrivals, the mix is in line with the market's 27.7%. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 29 to 36 (+24.1%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. A step up in title came with 15.1% of moves (market 12.9%).

Lateral hires in San Diego were spread across 58 firms. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 40.8% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. Greenberg Traurig ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 6-10 band.

By practice, Litigation & Disputes comes first, involved in 62.7% of arrivals here (39.9% across the market). Relocation into and out of San Diego was even (25 each way). 27.5% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

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