Seattle: lateral market monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 156 lateral moves in Seattle from November 2025 to October 2026, 1.1% of all lateral moves we tracked. On settled windows the count went from 139 to 164 (+18.0%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

The level mix sits close to the market: partners are 30.1% of arrivals, against 27.7% market-wide. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 47 to 51 (+8.5%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. 9.6% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

48 firms hired at least one lateral in Seattle in the window. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 50.7% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. Morrison & Foerster ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 11-20 band.

By practice, Litigation & Disputes comes first, involved in 69.9% of arrivals here (39.9% across the market). A change of city came with 21.4% of moves (market 20.5%).

Group moves were 7.7% of the total (market 1.5%).

For a firm planning a hire in Seattle, a flat market means candidates are not being pulled by a wave: the case for a move has to come from the platform.