Monthly edition
Lateral market, March 2025
The lateral market in March 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
- 1,200
- Lateral moves in the month
- +19.0%
- Against the same month last year
- 3,397
- Dated deals
What the data show
Sartori & Partners data show 1,200 lateral moves in March 2025. The same month a year earlier had 1,008, a change of +19.0%, up on the year.
Year to date, the count stands at 3,867 against 3,304 for the same months last year (+17.0%, up). Partner moves year to date: 1,109, against 960 a year earlier. Over the same months, 11,407 dated deals were recorded and 1,769 lawyers were promoted to partner.
- Partner24.8%
- Counsel13.1%
- Associate61.5%
Partners were 24.8% of the month's movers and associates 61.5%, against 27.1% in the same month last year. 23.1% of the month's movers also changed city.
By practice, Litigation & Disputes was involved in 42.8% of moves and Corporate & M&A in 18.5%. By city, New York came first with 14.8%, then London with 10.6%.
In the same month, 92 lawyers were promoted to partner, 48 were promoted to counsel, 3,397 dated deals were recorded and 21 office openings were announced.
- 1,000+ lawyers51.0%
- 400-999 lawyers25.7%
- 150-399 lawyers15.4%
- under 150 lawyers7.9%
The chart of March 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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