Banking & Finance in Chicago: lateral monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 77 lateral moves in Banking & Finance in Chicago from November 2025 to October 2026, 3.9% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 84 to 76 (-9.5%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 221 lawyers moved in Banking & Finance in Chicago, 57 of them partners (25.8%). They joined 72 different firms. 7.2% stepped up a level on the move and 24.9% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 52.8% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

The partner share is 20.8%, below the market's 27.7%, so most movers are associates and counsel. A step up in title came with 6.5% of moves (market 12.9%).

The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. Lateral hires in Banking & Finance in Chicago were spread across 72 firms. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 38.5% of arrivals (12.2% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. First on the hiring table is Chapman and Cutler, with arrivals in the 11-20 band.

The practice accounts for 12.9% of all lateral moves in Chicago. Over the three years to October 2026, 61.5% of movers came from another firm in Chicago itself. A change of city came with 29.0% of moves (market 20.5%).

There were 43 open roles in Banking & Finance in Chicago on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

For a firm planning a hire in Banking & Finance in Chicago, a flat market means candidates are not being pulled by a wave: the case for a move has to come from the platform.

Sartori & Partners data count 186 dated deals in Banking & Finance in Chicago in the 12 months to October 2026 and 395 over the three years to October 2026.

Banking & lending work is involved in 39.2% of them and Leveraged & acquisition finance in 32.4%.

By client industry, Banks & Financial Institutions comes first with 14.7%.

Latham & Watkins ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 101-150 band.

Over the three years to October 2026, Acquisition & Leveraged Finance was involved in 19.0% of moves in Banking & Finance in Chicago, then Corporate Lending with 19.0%.