Monthly edition
Lateral market, December 2024
The lateral market in December 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
- 593
- Lateral moves in the month
- +25.4%
- Against the same month last year
- 3,439
- Dated deals
What the data show
December 2024 brought 593 lateral moves in the Sartori & Partners record. The same month a year earlier had 473, a change of +25.4%, up on the year.
Year to date, the count stands at 12,743 against 10,875 for the same months last year (+17.2%, up). Partner moves year to date: 3,281, against 3,020 a year earlier. Over the same months, 40,845 dated deals were recorded and 2,668 lawyers were promoted to partner.
- Partner22.6%
- Counsel10.8%
- Associate64.4%
Partners were 22.6% of the month's movers and associates 64.4%, against 23.5% in the same month last year. 20.5% of the month's movers also changed city.
By practice, Litigation & Disputes was involved in 42.7% of moves and Corporate & M&A in 15.7%. By city, New York came first with 13.5%, then London with 10.5%.
In the same month, 54 lawyers were promoted to partner, 23 were promoted to counsel, 3,439 dated deals were recorded and 10 office openings were announced.
- 1,000+ lawyers53.8%
- 400-999 lawyers23.7%
- 150-399 lawyers15.7%
- under 150 lawyers6.8%
The chart of December 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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