Monthly edition
Lateral market, July 2025
The lateral market in July 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
- 993
- Lateral moves in the month
- -10.5%
- Against the same month last year
- 4,132
- Dated deals
What the data show
July 2025 brought 993 lateral moves in the Sartori & Partners record. The same month a year earlier had 1,109, a change of -10.5%, down on the year.
Year to date, the count stands at 8,126 against 7,739 for the same months last year (+5.0%, up). Partner moves year to date: 2,350, against 2,132 a year earlier. Over the same months, 25,975 dated deals were recorded and 2,480 lawyers were promoted to partner.
- Partner28.0%
- Counsel12.1%
- Associate57.7%
Partners were 28.0% of the month's movers and associates 57.7%, against 23.4% in the same month last year. 22.5% of the month's movers also changed city.
By practice, Litigation & Disputes was involved in 43.7% of moves and Corporate & M&A in 18.7%. By city, New York came first with 16.1%, then London with 8.5%.
In the same month, 135 lawyers were promoted to partner, 204 were promoted to counsel, 4,132 dated deals were recorded and 12 office openings were announced.
- 1,000+ lawyers49.1%
- 400-999 lawyers26.9%
- 150-399 lawyers14.8%
- under 150 lawyers9.2%
The chart of July 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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