Monthly edition
Lateral market, May 2025
The lateral market in May 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
- 1,086
- Lateral moves in the month
- -2.1%
- Against the same month last year
- 3,656
- Dated deals
What the data show
In May 2025, Sartori & Partners recorded 1,086 lateral moves. The same month a year earlier had 1,109, a change of -2.1%, flat by our reading.
Year to date, the count stands at 6,008 against 5,630 for the same months last year (+6.7%, up). Partner moves year to date: 1,758, against 1,596 a year earlier. Over the same months, 18,178 dated deals were recorded and 2,308 lawyers were promoted to partner.
- Partner32.6%
- Counsel9.2%
- Associate57.6%
Partners were 32.6% of the month's movers and associates 57.6%, against 28.0% in the same month last year. 17.8% of the month's movers also changed city.
By practice, Litigation & Disputes was involved in 40.4% of moves and Corporate & M&A in 19.4%. By city, New York came first with 15.9%, then London with 9.2%.
In the same month, 332 lawyers were promoted to partner, 269 were promoted to counsel, 3,656 dated deals were recorded and 9 office openings were announced.
- 1,000+ lawyers56.0%
- 400-999 lawyers20.1%
- 150-399 lawyers15.2%
- under 150 lawyers8.7%
The chart of May 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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