Monthly edition
Lateral market, October 2023
The lateral market in October 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
- 977
- Lateral moves in the month
- -2.9%
- Against the same month last year
- 2,812
- Dated deals
What the data show
Sartori & Partners data show 977 lateral moves in October 2023. The same month a year earlier had 1,006, a change of -2.9%, flat by our reading.
Year to date, the count stands at 9,600 against 11,445 for the same months last year (-16.1%, down). Partner moves year to date: 2,727, against 2,764 a year earlier. Over the same months, 29,243 dated deals were recorded and 2,716 lawyers were promoted to partner.
- Partner24.2%
- Counsel11.8%
- Associate61.8%
Partners were 24.2% of the month's movers and associates 61.8%, against 20.7% in the same month last year. 25.0% of the month's movers also changed city.
By practice, Litigation & Disputes was involved in 43.2% of moves and Corporate & M&A in 19.8%. By city, New York came first with 12.5%, then London with 11.7%.
In the same month, 162 lawyers were promoted to partner, 2,812 dated deals were recorded and 10 office openings were announced.
- 1,000+ lawyers53.0%
- 400-999 lawyers24.8%
- 150-399 lawyers14.9%
- under 150 lawyers7.4%
The chart of October 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.