Monthly edition
Lateral market, May 2023
The lateral market in May 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
- 1,011
- Lateral moves in the month
- -17.7%
- Against the same month last year
- 3,119
- Dated deals
What the data show
May 2023 brought 1,011 lateral moves in the Sartori & Partners record. The same month a year earlier had 1,228, a change of -17.7%, down on the year.
Year to date, the count stands at 4,814 against 6,261 for the same months last year (-23.1%, down). Partner moves year to date: 1,447, against 1,566 a year earlier. Over the same months, 15,151 dated deals were recorded and 2,293 lawyers were promoted to partner.
- Partner29.4%
- Counsel11.7%
- Associate56.0%
Partners were 29.4% of the month's movers and associates 56.0%, against 23.4% in the same month last year. 27.6% of the month's movers also changed city.
By practice, Litigation & Disputes was involved in 45.4% of moves and Corporate & M&A in 17.2%. By city, New York came first with 12.9%, then London with 9.0%.
In the same month, 383 lawyers were promoted to partner, 213 were promoted to counsel, 3,119 dated deals were recorded and 12 office openings were announced.
- 1,000+ lawyers50.2%
- 400-999 lawyers26.4%
- 150-399 lawyers15.8%
- under 150 lawyers7.7%
The chart of May across the years shows where this month sits against the same month in earlier years, without the season in the way.
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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].
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