Monthly edition
Lateral market, October 2026
The lateral market in October 2026: 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
- 926
- Lateral moves in the month
- 125
- Moves to in-house roles
- 3,969
- Dated deals
What the data show
Sartori & Partners data show 926 lateral moves in October 2026. This is the newest month in the record and reads low: start dates are confirmed with a delay, so the count will rise as they are.
Year to date, the count stands at 12,554 against 11,700 for the same months last year. Partner moves year to date: 3,540, against 3,230 a year earlier. Over the same months, 40,572 dated deals were recorded.
- Partner32.8%
- Counsel12.7%
- Associate52.7%
Partners were 32.8% of the month's movers and associates 52.7%, against 22.6% in the same month last year. 19.3% of the month's movers also changed city.
By practice, Litigation & Disputes was involved in 41.4% of moves and Corporate & M&A in 22.8%. By city, New York came first with 15.4%, then Washington, DC with 9.0%.
In the same month, 125 lawyers left private practice for an in-house role, 3,969 dated deals were recorded and 10 office openings were announced.
- 1,000+ lawyers54.9%
- 400-999 lawyers22.8%
- 150-399 lawyers11.4%
- under 150 lawyers10.9%
The chart of October 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].
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