Monthly edition
Lateral market, January 2023
The lateral market in January 2023: how many lawyers changed firm, at what level, in which practices and cities, and what else moved that month.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 1,234
- Lateral moves in the month
- -25.2%
- Against the same month last year
- 3,874
- Dated deals
What the data show
January 2023 brought 1,234 lateral moves in the Sartori & Partners record. The same month a year earlier had 1,649, a change of -25.2%, down on the year.
Year to date, the count stands at 1,234 against 1,649 for the same months last year (-25.2%, down). Partner moves year to date: 400, against 447 a year earlier. Over the same months, 3,874 dated deals were recorded and 1,562 lawyers were promoted to partner.
- Partner32.4%
- Counsel10.0%
- Associate53.4%
Partners were 32.4% of the month's movers and associates 53.4%, against 27.1% in the same month last year. 28.2% of the month's movers also changed city.
By practice, Litigation & Disputes was involved in 43.1% of moves and Corporate & M&A in 15.5%. By city, London came first with 10.8%, then New York with 9.3%.
In the same month, 1,562 lawyers were promoted to partner, 576 were promoted to counsel, 3,874 dated deals were recorded and 17 office openings were announced.
- 1,000+ lawyers49.4%
- 400-999 lawyers25.5%
- 150-399 lawyers17.4%
- under 150 lawyers7.7%
The chart of January across the years shows where this month sits against the same month in earlier years, without the season in the way.
Related monitors and reports
Hiring in this market
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].
For law firm leaders
Planning a partner hire in this market?
We run retained partner searches using the same data behind this page.