Lateral Hiring by City: New York Has the Volume, Houston the Growth

Sartori & Partners data show Houston lateral moves rose 51.1% in a year, 337 in the 12 months to September 2026 against 223 the year before, while London and Paris did not grow. Rank law firm lateral hiring by city on volume and the order is familiar: New York first with 2,083 moves, London second with 1,302, Washington third with 790. Rank the same cities on growth and the order turns over. Houston, 9th on volume, grew fastest of the seven cities in this report. Miami and San Francisco come next, London stood still and Paris shrank. Each change below sets the 12 months to September 2026 against the 12 months before them, because start dates for the latest month are still being confirmed.

The two largest markets sit well clear of the rest. New York moved about 1.6 times as many lawyers as London, and London about 1.6 times as many as Washington. Below them the list flattens: Los Angeles at 712, Chicago at 597, San Francisco at 453, then a cluster from Dallas at 345 to Paris at 260 that also holds Houston, Miami and Philadelphia.

New York did more than hold its place. Its lateral moves rose 11.9%, 2,084 against 1,862, a little ahead of the market, which rose 9.0% on 14,305 moves against 13,128. In absolute terms New York added 222 moves, more than the 114 Houston added: a very large base growing at a moderate rate still produces the most new hires. Partner hiring in New York was steady, 560 against 540, so the extra volume came from associates and counsel. For a firm recruiting partners in New York, the pool is the deepest anywhere but no larger than a year ago.

Houston posted the steepest rise of the seven cities. In the Sartori & Partners figures its lateral moves rose 51.1%, 337 in the year to September 2026 against 223 the year before, about 5.7 times the market rate. Partner hires rose 39.1%, 96 against 69.

The yearly counts explain part of the jump. Houston recorded 286 moves in 2024 and only 233 in 2025, so the comparison window started from a dip. Yet the 2026 count, with two months still to come, already stands at 304, above every full year since 2022, when the city had 278. This is a rebound that has gone past the old level, not only a return to it.

The work behind it is energy, construction and transactions. Construction is involved in 13.3% of Houston moves against 6.0% across the market, corporate and M&A in 27.8% against 20.7%, and projects and infrastructure in 15.1%. Hiring is also concentrated: the ten most active firms took 35.4% of Houston moves, while the ten most active hirers across the market took 12.9% of theirs.

For a firm, Houston is a market where a small group of large hirers sets the pace. A partner who has watched colleagues move this year will measure any offer against theirs, so a Houston search needs a clear answer to one question from the first meeting: why this platform rather than the firm that just hired a peer. Partners made up 29.6% of Houston moves, close to the market's 27.7%.

Miami lateral moves rose 34.4%, 305 against 227, after three calendar years at almost the same count: 229 in 2023, 227 in 2024 and 230 in 2025. Courtroom work drives the city. Litigation is involved in 54.6% of Miami moves against 39.9% for the market, product liability and torts in 19.9% against 6.8%, and insurance in 8.9% against 4.8%. The ten most active hirers took 38.4% of Miami moves.

San Francisco rose 30.1%, 462 against 355, and the growth came below partner level: partner hires there were flat, 115 against 106. The city runs on technology work. Intellectual property is involved in 21.6% of its moves against 7.4% for the market, employment in 17.0% against 10.7%. Companies compete for the same lawyers: since May 2026, set against lateral moves, San Francisco lawyers left firms for companies about 1.7 times as often as New York lawyers did.

The consequence differs by city. A Miami search is mostly a litigation search in a market where a few firms do much of the hiring, so a firm outside that group must offer something they do not. A San Francisco search for an associate or counsel in intellectual property competes with in-house offers as well as rival firms, and should be priced and timed with that in mind.

Dallas sits one place above Houston on volume, 8th against 9th, and its overall growth was close behind the three fastest: moves rose 28.2%, 350 against 273. The difference is seniority. Dallas partner hires rose 40.7%, 114 against 81, the largest partner rise among the cities in this report. Partners made up 32.2% of Dallas moves, against 27.7% across the market.

The Dallas mix leans to litigation and intellectual property: litigation is involved in 51.6% of moves and intellectual property in 12.8%, against 7.4% for the market. Firms of 400-999 lawyers took 27.8% of Dallas moves, against 23.4% across the market. Together with Houston, this puts Texas firms in two growing markets at once. A firm that wants a Dallas partner with portable work should expect several rival offers and move early in the conversation.

London lateral moves held flat (-2.5%), 1,353 against 1,387, so the second-largest market stood still in a year when the market grew. Partner hiring was steady too, 389 against 384. The London mix sets it apart from the US cities: banking and finance is involved in 24.8% of its moves against 13.9% for the market, and litigation in only 18.5%. Firms of 1,000+ lawyers took 68.5% of London moves, against 53.6% across the market.

Paris shows the clearest decline. Its moves fell 20.5%, 276 against 347, and the city now ranks 12th by volume. Over the past 3 years Paris took 2.3% of all moves; in the latest 12 months, 1.8%. The drop sits below partner level, since partner hires were flat at 69 against 61. Only 61 firms hired in Paris, and firms of 1,000+ lawyers took 86.4% of the moves.

A flat London means fewer competing offers than in Houston or Dallas, but no surplus of candidates either: the pool is the size it was a year ago, and the biggest firms take most of it. In Paris, the thinner flow of associates and counsel makes junior team building slower, while partner hiring carries on at its usual pace. A firm that wants to grow a Paris team should plan to hire the partner first and train the bench around them.

In the Sartori & Partners lateral database, volume and growth point to different cities, and a hiring plan should use both. First, in Houston and Dallas, expect competition: Houston moves grew 51.1% and Dallas partner hires grew 40.7%, so an offer should be ready before the first serious meeting. Second, in Miami and San Francisco, read the bench before the city: Miami growth is litigation and product liability, while San Francisco growth is below partner level and shares candidates with companies. Third, in London and Paris, use the slower market to hire with care: London moves were flat at 1,353 against 1,387, which leaves room to be selective on book and fit. New York stays the deepest pool, with 2,083 moves in 12 months, but it is a busier one than a year ago.