Monthly edition
Lateral market, January 2025
The lateral market in January 2025: 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
- 1,530
- Lateral moves in the month
- +14.1%
- Against the same month last year
- 4,640
- Dated deals
What the data show
January 2025 brought 1,530 lateral moves in the Sartori & Partners record. The same month a year earlier had 1,341, a change of +14.1%, up on the year.
Year to date, the count stands at 1,530 against 1,341 for the same months last year (+14.1%, up). Partner moves year to date: 465, against 398 a year earlier. Over the same months, 4,640 dated deals were recorded and 1,547 lawyers were promoted to partner.
- Partner30.4%
- Counsel9.9%
- Associate57.4%
Partners were 30.4% of the month's movers and associates 57.4%, against 29.7% in the same month last year. 22.4% of the month's movers also changed city.
By practice, Litigation & Disputes was involved in 38.7% of moves and Corporate & M&A in 20.4%. By city, London came first with 12.1%, then New York with 10.8%.
In the same month, 1,547 lawyers were promoted to partner, 623 were promoted to counsel, 4,640 dated deals were recorded and 18 office openings were announced.
- 1,000+ lawyers53.9%
- 400-999 lawyers25.8%
- 150-399 lawyers13.7%
- under 150 lawyers6.6%
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.