Client industries · November 2026
Client industries: who advises the sector
For each client industry, how many dated deals law firms worked on in the last 12 months, which practices staffed them and which firms advised.
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- 58.0% New York, 22.9% Washington: A Crypto Panel Needs Both Cities
Lawyers in New York worked on 58.0% of digital asset and crypto deals, the highest New York share of any sector, and Washington came second at 22.9%. Financial regulatory lawyers sit on many times the market's share of these deals, and the deal count held flat.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - 75.2% of Sponsor Lawyers Join Firms of 1,000+ Lawyers, One at a Time
Three in four moves by lawyers with a financial sponsors focus, 75.2%, go to firms of 1,000+ lawyers, far above the market, real estate or food, and almost none come as a team. A sponsor hiring in-house competes with the largest firms' pay for one lawyer at a time.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - A Nonprofit Lawyer Search Starts in Tax: 52.1% of Movers Carry It
Half of the lawyers with a nonprofit focus who changed firms carry tax work (52.1%) and 29.6% private client work, each at over ten times the market's share (indexes of 1,035 and 1,260). They join firms of 400-999 lawyers more often than the largest firms, and they change city more often than the market: a foundation hiring in-house counsel is hiring a tax and governance lawyer.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Aerospace and Defense Lawyers: Hiring Is 2.9 Times as Concentrated
Over 36 months the top 10 hirers of aerospace and defense lawyers took 35.9% of the moves, 2.9 times the top-10 share across all lateral moves. The movers are senior, with 68.5% joining as partners and 53.3% joining a firm in Washington, DC.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Aerospace and Defense Legal Work: Venture Work at 3.1 Times the Market
Venture and growth financings appear on 11.6% of aerospace and defense deals, 3.1 times their share of the whole market. The shift comes with the fastest deal growth of any sector we track, and with lawyers in Washington working on 26.7% of the sector's deals.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Asset Management Legal Work Holds Flat in 2026: Room to Press on Fees
Deal work for asset managers and funds held flat while the whole deal market grew. The work splits across funds, M&A, capital markets and real estate, one firm sits alone in the highest adviser band, and disclosed values run high.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Automotive Legal Work Runs Through Germany: Five Cities in the Top 10
Lawyers in Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Berlin all rank among the ten cities where automotive deals are handled, a German footprint no other sector matches. The mix of deal types sits near the market; product liability runs at 2.9 times its market share.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Automotive Litigation Partners Are Moving: Partner Moves Up 43.8%
Partner moves among automotive lawyers rose 43.8% year on year while the market's rose 8.4%. The movers are litigators, heavy on product liability, and law firms are bidding for them.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Aviation Lawyers Who Move Are Associates, Mostly Finance, Often London
About six in ten lawyers with an aviation focus who changed firms were associates (60.0%), while partners lead the transportation and aerospace benches. Banking & Finance appears on 56.2% of the moves and London took 32.5%: an airline or lessor hiring in-house will find finance associates in London, not senior partners.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Bank Outside Counsel in 2026: A Four-Way Top and Transatlantic Work
No single firm owns bank work: the four most active advisers sit in one band, and four of the ten cities where bank deals were handled are in Europe. Capital markets and lending are 56.5% of the deals.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Beyond the All-Sector Table: Mining Has Its Own Map and Its Own Leader
In mining and metals, one firm sits alone in the 61-100 band of deals advised, and the work runs through Toronto, Vancouver, Perth and Sydney as well as New York and London. Sector deals rose 25.6% against 10.6% for the market, with capital markets and lending far above their market shares.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Bring the Role to the Lawyer: Medical Device Lawyers Rarely Relocate
Lawyers with a medical device focus change city on far fewer of their moves than the rest of the market, over one year and over three. Most of those who move are partners, with litigation, patent and health care practices, so a device company has to recruit where they already work, starting in Washington.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Chemical Industry Deals Outpace the Market: Book Deal Counsel Early
Chemical industry deals rose 33.7% year on year while all dated deals rose 10.6%, with capital markets, M&A and banking work each above its market share. Deal teams that cover chemicals are carrying more work: a chemical company should book its advisers early.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Chemical Industry Lawyers Cover Five Practices: Hire One, Buy the Rest
Lawyers with a chemicals focus who changed firms over three years carried litigation, intellectual property, regulatory, environmental and product liability work, four of them far above their market share, and Washington was their first city. A chemical company with room for one in-house lawyer covers one of these risks and buys the rest outside.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Construction and Engineering Counsel: No Firm Holds the M&A Work
Construction and engineering companies buy M&A advice at 2.0 times the market's rate, from a field no firm holds: the first-ranked adviser sits in the 11-20 band of deals advised and seven of the ten busiest in the 6-10 band. Construction lawyers sit on 8.8% of these deals, a small share that still runs far above the market, so the deal panel and the projects and disputes panel are separate purchases.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Construction Lawyers Are Litigators: 85.7% Also Handle Disputes
Construction-focused lawyers who changed firms are disputes lawyers first: 85.7% carry litigation, 2.1 times the market's share, and 19.8% left firms of under 150 lawyers over 36 months. The sector's deals carry a different practice mix, so claims counsel is found among specialist litigators.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Consumer Brands Hiring In-House Counsel: Expect Senior Litigators
Intellectual property is the practice named most often on consumer and retail deals, yet the lawyers with this focus who change firms are mostly partner litigators and product liability specialists. A company hiring in-house meets a senior, dispute-trained bench, not a deal bench.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Consumer Litigation Lawyers Are Mostly Associates: 65.7% of Movers
Associates are 65.7% of the lawyers acting for individuals and consumers who changed firms, against 58.5% in the market, and fewer of them join the largest firms. A company hiring a consumer-claims litigator should look at associate level and beyond firms of 1,000+ lawyers.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Education Lawyers Move to Firms of 150-399 Lawyers: Where to Hire
Firms of 150-399 lawyers took 38.0% of education-focused lateral moves, 2.9 times the market's share. These are litigators, employment and public law lawyers, with more counsel than the market: a school district, college or university hiring in-house should recruit from firms of that size.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Entertainment Lawyers Stay Local: Only 8.6% Switch Cities
Media and entertainment lawyers rarely leave their city when they change firms, and Los Angeles draws them at an index of 463 against the market. For a company hiring in-house, the bench is the one already in town, and its partner moves rose 65.0% year on year.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Few Lawyers Specialize in Manufacturing: Recruit From the Deal Bench
Lawyers who carry manufacturing as their focus rarely change firms, and the ones who do are mostly partner-level trial lawyers. A manufacturer hiring for deal work should recruit from corporate and capital markets lawyers in the cities where the sector's deal work is done, New York first, and from the wider flow of lawyers moving in-house.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Fintech's Lawyer Bench Is Regulatory: 60.6% Do Financial Regulation
Of the lawyers with a fintech focus who changed firms, 60.6% carry financial services regulatory work, an index of 3,649 against the market. Partners are 58.3% of them and 70.1% joined firms of 1,000+ lawyers, while the count of moves held flat: a fintech company hiring in-house pays large-firm rates for regulatory depth.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Food and Agriculture Companies Buy Litigation First: IP Leads
Disputes and investigations are the largest deal type for food, beverage and agriculture companies, at 38.7% of the sector's deals against 25.0% across all sectors, and intellectual property lawyers work on 29.5% of the sector's deals. Deal flow held flat while the wider market grew, so the panel question is trial and IP depth, not deal capacity.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Food Industry Lawyers Sit in Mid-Size Firms: Look Past the Giants
Among food, beverage and agriculture lawyers who changed firms, mid-size firms took a larger share than the giants did, unlike the market. Only 43 firms hired the profile in 12 months and 24.0% of movers changed city: a food company should search well beyond the largest names.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - For Sponsors, Private Equity Is 26.6% of Deals, Disputes Just 1.8%
Sponsors buy private equity, fund formation and acquisition finance work at many times the market's rate, and almost no capital markets or disputes work. One firm sits a full band above every other adviser.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - From 24 to 46 Sports Partner Moves: Clubs Bid Against Law Firms
Partner moves among lawyers with a sports focus rose 91.7%, to 46 from 24, while the market's partner moves rose 8.4%. With partners at 60.6% of sports movers, a club, league or sports company hiring in-house is bidding against law-firm offers.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Health System Lawyers Work Outside New York, Often at Mid-Size Firms
Lawyers with a hospital and health plan focus who changed firms joined New York firms far less often than the market did, and firms of 150-399 lawyers took a much larger share of them. A health system hiring in-house should start its search in Washington, Chicago, Nashville and at mid-size firms.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Hire Finance First: Infrastructure Holds 11.6% of All Project Finance
Project and infrastructure finance is 19.8% of infrastructure deals against 2.1% market-wide, and the sector discloses deal values more often than any other sector and does so at a median of $850 million. The counsel a company needs is a finance team built for large, public tickets, with a strong London bench.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Hiring a Bank Lawyer In-House: 67.0% of the Bench Is Finance
Finance lawyers make up 67.0% of the bank-focused lawyers who changed firms, an index of 481 against the market, with regulatory and restructuring the next pools. Moves were flat and most joined firms of 1,000+ lawyers: a bank's in-house hire comes from big-firm finance groups.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Hiring a Utility Regulatory Lawyer: A Small, Partner-Heavy Bench
Lawyers who move with a utilities focus are regulatory specialists first: regulatory and compliance shows up in their moves at an index of 2,368 against the market, and partners were 56.5% of them over 36 months. Only 99 firms hired one in that time, so a utility filling a regulatory seat recruits from a small, senior pool.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - How Manufacturers Use Counsel: M&A at 2.1 Times the Market's Share
M&A runs at 2.1 times the market's rate in industrial manufacturing deals, staffed by corporate lawyers; more of their deals are handled with lawyers in Frankfurt and Munich than in most sectors. No single firm dominates the adviser list.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Infrastructure Lawyers Work at the Largest Firms: 75.1% Join One
Lawyers with an infrastructure focus join firms of 1,000+ lawyers on 75.1% of their moves, and over 36 months about as many moves started at such a firm, so the bench passes from one large platform to the next. Projects and finance specialists drive it and Paris draws them far above its market weight. A company hiring one in-house bids against large-firm pay.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Inside the Hospitality Bench: Real Estate on 44.8% of Lawyer Moves
Real estate is the largest practice among lawyers with a hospitality focus who changed firms, at 422 on an index that sets its share against the market's. It is not a majority, and partner moves in the sector fell while the market's rose. A hotel or leisure company hiring counsel should screen property lawyers first.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Insurance Lawyer Moves Fell 9.5% in 2026: Miami, Atlanta Over-Index
Fewer insurance-focused lawyers changed firms in the latest 12 months, even as the wider lateral market grew. The bench they come from is litigation-led, over-indexed in Miami, Atlanta and Philadelphia, and drawn from small firms far more often than the market.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Law Firms for Insurers in 2026: A Specialist Bar Staffs the Deals
Insurer work runs through a specialist bar: insurance and reinsurance lawyers appear on 29.9% of insurance deals, far above their 0.7% share of the whole deal market. London is the second city for the work, ahead of its share for banks and asset managers.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Leverage for Consumer and Retail Buyers: One Firm Leads a Level Field
One firm stands a band clear of the rest, and only four of the sector's top 10 advisers also sit in the market's top 10. For a company buying outside counsel in consumer goods and retail, that level field is leverage on price, staffing and the choice of firm.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - M&A, Disputes or Capital Markets: Transport Panels Need All Three
M&A appears on 26.7% of transport and logistics deals, disputes on 23.4% and capital markets on 22.9%: about a quarter each. The firms sit in two close bands, and the work runs through Frankfurt and Hong Kong as well as New York and London.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Media and Entertainment Counsel: Its Own Firm List, Los Angeles Work
Only two of the ten firms most active on media and entertainment deals also rank in the market's top 10, and the first stands two bands clear of the rest. Disputes are the largest type at 39.8%, and lawyers in Los Angeles worked on media deals 1.9 times as often as on technology deals.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Mining Lawyers Move Up When They Move: Far Above the Market Rate
Over 36 months, 19.1% of mining lawyers who changed firms stepped up a title, against 12.3% across the market. The movers are mostly partners, spread across projects, corporate and regulatory work, and London is their first city: a mining company hiring from firms competes with promotion, not only pay.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Nonprofits Go to Law Firms for Disputes: One Matter at a Time
Nonprofits buy litigation, not transactions: disputes and investigations were 70.5% of the sector's deals, public law lawyers worked on 25.5% of them, and each client brought 1.4 deals, the fewest of any sector.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Oil and Gas In-House Lawyers: Houston First, and Mostly Partners
Lawyers whose work centers on oil and gas chose Houston 11.9 times as often as the market did, and their moves rose 27.6% year on year, with partners 56.2% of the movers. An energy company hiring in-house should start its search there and price for seniority.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Oil and Gas Legal Work in 2026: Few Repeat Clients, Big Tickets
Oil and gas deal work comes from a small group of companies that return often and deal large: 2.5 deals for every client, more than in technology or power, and a median disclosed value of $750 million. That gives a repeat client more leverage with its firm than most sectors allow.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Only 136 Clients Behind 302 Aviation Deals: Buyers Hold the Leverage
Aviation deals in 12 months trace back to 136 clients, fewer than in any other industry we track, and each returned for 2.2 deals on average. The work leans on financing and the most active firms sit close together, so an airline or lessor that buys repeat financings holds the leverage to consolidate its panel and press on rates.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Pharma and Biotech Counsel in 2026: Deals Grow, Specialists Stay
Pharma and biotech companies buy mostly financing work from a small group of firms, and lawyers in Boston and San Diego work on far more of those deals than in technology. The lawyers with real sector depth are patent, litigation and regulatory specialists, and they rarely change firms.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Pharma In-House Hiring: Associates Are Only 30.5% of Movers
Partners are 49.1% of the pharma and biotech lawyers who changed firms in 12 months, associates 30.5%. Companies that recruit out of law firms take mostly associates, so a junior in-house specialist comes from a narrow flow that firms also bid for.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Professional Services Firms in 2026: M&A-Heavy and Rarely Priced
M&A runs at 2.1 times its market share in professional services and private equity at 2.1 times, while only 5.5% of the sector's deals disclose a value. Nine of the ten most active advisers share one band.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Professional Services Lawyers Move in Teams, Far Above the Market
Team moves were 14.8% of lateral moves by lawyers who focus on professional services clients, against 1.5% across the market, a rough size on a small count. Partner moves climbed, most movers litigate, and a firm hiring in-house should expect candidates who arrive with colleagues.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Property First, Workouts Second in a Shrinking Hospitality Market
Hospitality and leisure deal flow fell 8.6% while the whole deal market rose 10.6%. The work that remains tilts to property transactions and restructuring, and capital markets sits below the market share, so a hotel or leisure company should buy property and workout depth first.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Public Sector Lawyers Move Cities: 26.0% of Moves Change City
Lawyers who focus on government work change city more often than the rest of the lateral market, and they join large firms less often. A public body that searches nationally, and looks hard at mid-size firms, is fishing where this bench actually moves.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Real Estate Lawyers in 2026: Hired by More Firms Than Any Sector
Real estate lawyers who moved spread across 320 hiring firms, the widest base of any sector, and fewer of them joined firms of 1,000+ lawyers than the market does. Associates are the majority and partner moves fell while the market's rose: a company hiring juniors can recruit from many mid-size firms, and a senior search has to go to partners who are staying put.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Real Estate Legal Work Splits in Two: Property and Capital Markets
Real estate companies buy property transactions at 13.0 times the market's rate and capital markets financing at the market's own rate. Different lawyers do each, so a panel built for one proves little about the other.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Semiconductor Deals Rose 33.9% in 2026: Capital Markets Carried It
Deals in electronics and semiconductors rose 33.9% against 10.6% for all deals. Capital markets work appears on 52.7% of the sector's deals, 2.1 times the market rate, and Hong Kong and Beijing rank among its ten busiest cities, which technology and software does not show.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Semiconductor Patent Lawyers Move in Two Cities: 21.1% of Moves Each
Lawyers whose focus is electronics and semiconductors carry intellectual property on 89.1% of their moves and litigation on 72.7%, and they join firms in San Francisco and Washington at 21.1% each. A chip company hiring in-house IP counsel recruits from IP litigation teams, not from its deal lawyers.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Six Firms Share the Top Band on Medical Device Deals
The ten busiest advisers on medical device deals sit in two adjacent bands, so a device company can choose its counsel on team and price. Capital markets is the largest type of work, at 43.9% of deals, and the sector's deal count held flat while the market rose.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Sports Legal Work Runs on Intellectual Property: Firms and Cities
Intellectual property lawyers appear on 33.1% of sports deals, 3.0 times their share across the deal market. For a sports organization, outside counsel is first a matter of protecting brands and rights, and one firm stands a band clear of the rest.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Tech Companies Compete With Each Other for In-House Lawyers in 2026
The companies that hire the most lawyers out of law firms are mostly technology companies, so a tech employer's real rival for in-house talent is another tech employer. The pools to recruit from are privacy and IP lawyers, and San Francisco, which over-indexes at 557 as a destination.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Telecom Deals Carry the Highest Median Value: Run the Pitch Wide
Where a telecom deal discloses its value, the median is $1,077.5 million, higher than in any other industry we track. The work leans to offerings and acquisitions, and the firms ranked second to tenth sit in one band of deals advised, so a telecom company can put large mandates out to a real contest.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Telecom Lawyers Gather in Washington: A Regulatory Bench on the Move
Over three years, 15.7% of lawyers with a telecom focus who changed firms joined a Washington firm, against 5.2% of all lateral moves, and regulatory work shows up in their moves at an index of 969 against the market. The count of moves rose 33.3% while the count of partner moves held flat (+28.2%): a telecom company hiring regulatory counsel recruits in Washington.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - The Price of a Power Lawyer: 23.3% Change City, 16.1% Step Up
Lawyers focused on power and renewables changed city on 23.3% of their moves and joined at a higher title on 16.1%, both above the market. A developer or investor hiring in-house can recruit across cities, and should expect to offer a step up.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Transport Litigators Come From Smaller Firms: Look Past Deal Firms
About one in five transport-focused lawyers who changed firms over three years left firms of under 150 lawyers, 21.9% against the market's 11.4%, and as many, 21.4%, left firms of 150-399 lawyers. They are litigators with more counsel than the market, so claims counsel is found in small and mid-size litigation firms.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Up 27.6%, Power and Renewables Deals Lean on Project Finance
Power and renewables deal flow rose 27.6%, 2.6 times the growth rate of the whole deal market, and project and infrastructure finance runs at 11.8 times its market share. That mix reshapes the adviser list just below the top: firms outside the market's top 10 hold fourth, fifth and sixth place.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Venture Work Sits on 16.6% of Fintech Deals, Against 3.8% Market-Wide
Venture and growth work sits on 16.6% of fintech and payments deals, against 3.8% across the market; M&A runs above the market rate, while disputes run well below it. The deal count held flat, and one firm sits a band clear of the rest of the sector's list.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Washington Tops Education Deals at Just 16.7%: Buy Close to Home
No city owns the legal work of schools, colleges and universities: 16.7% of education deals were handled with lawyers in Washington, and Raleigh comes third. One adviser stands a band clear of a field of small bands, so an education client can buy close to home.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Where Asset Managers Find In-House Lawyers: A Transatlantic Bench
Among lawyers with an asset management focus who changed firms, London and Paris over-index more than New York, and funds lawyers dominate the flow. Their moves rose this year while the sector's deal work held flat, but every one of those moves was to another firm: an in-house offer competes with lateral offers and has to reach lawyers where they sit.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Where Crypto Lawyers Go: Firms of 1,000+ Lawyers, Rarely a New City
Of the lawyers with a digital asset focus who changed firms, 72.4% joined firms of 1,000+ lawyers, against 53.6% market-wide, and over 36 months they changed city on 11.6% of moves against 21.6%. Moves held flat: a crypto company hiring in-house bids against large-firm pay for a lawyer who rarely relocates.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Which Law Firms Act for Consumers: Disputes Are 91.2% of Deals
When the client is a person, the matter is almost always a dispute: 91.2% of deals for individuals and consumers, 3.6 times the market share, at a median disclosed value of $18.8 million. Washington, not New York, is the first city for the lawyers on these matters.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Which Law Firms Do Technology Companies Use in 2026?
Technology and software buys legal work from more companies than any other sector, each doing fewer deals at smaller values, and venture rounds weigh 4.0 times their market share. The firm credited on the most technology deals does not appear in the market's top 10 deal advisers.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Who Advises Governments in 2026: Disputes and Public Law, Not M&A
Public bodies buy disputes and public law, and almost no M&A: disputes and investigations were 44.6% of the sector's deals and M&A only 3.3%. The eight most active advisers to public bodies all sit in the same 21-40 band of deals, so no firm stands clear of the rest.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Who Advises Hospitals and Health Plans? One Firm, Several Bands Clear
One firm advises on far more hospital and health plan deals than any rival, and Nashville sits among the sector's deal cities next to New York and Washington. For a general counsel, that shapes conflicts, fees and the search for a credible second firm.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Why Utilities Hire Capital Markets Lawyers: 60.9% of Their Deals
Capital markets work was 60.9% of utility deals, 2.4 times its share of the whole deal market, and one firm advises on far more of the sector's deals than any rival. Lawyers in Houston and Dallas worked on a larger share of utility deals than of power or bank deals; only oil and gas runs higher.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026
Edition November 2026. Window: November 2025 to October 2026. Source: Sartori & Partners, from public law-firm announcements, firm websites and professional profiles, checked monthly. Methodology. Spot an error? [email protected].
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