Monthly edition
Lateral market, April 2024
The lateral market in April 2024: 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
- 1,217
- Lateral moves in the month
- +32.3%
- Against the same month last year
- 3,048
- Dated deals
What the data show
Sartori & Partners data show 1,217 lateral moves in April 2024. The same month a year earlier had 920, a change of +32.3%, up on the year.
Year to date, the count stands at 4,521 against 3,803 for the same months last year (+18.9%, up). Partner moves year to date: 1,286, against 1,150 a year earlier. Over the same months, 14,171 dated deals were recorded and 1,850 lawyers were promoted to partner.
- Partner26.8%
- Counsel12.8%
- Associate57.4%
Partners were 26.8% of the month's movers and associates 57.4%, against 31.4% in the same month last year. 21.6% of the month's movers also changed city.
By practice, Litigation & Disputes was involved in 44.9% of moves and Corporate & M&A in 17.6%. By city, New York came first with 14.5%, then London with 8.1%.
In the same month, 152 lawyers were promoted to partner, 108 were promoted to counsel, 3,048 dated deals were recorded and 7 office openings were announced.
- 1,000+ lawyers52.4%
- 400-999 lawyers23.6%
- 150-399 lawyers16.9%
- under 150 lawyers7.1%
The chart of April 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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