Banking & Finance in London: lateral monitor

In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 323 lawyers joined a new firm in Banking & Finance in London from November 2025 to October 2026, 16.4% of the practice's moves. Year on year the count held level (322 to 325 on settled windows, +0.9%). The market as a whole moved +9.0%, so this flow lagged it.

Over the three years to October 2026, 919 lawyers moved in Banking & Finance in London, 280 of them partners (30.5%). They joined 128 different firms. 12.1% stepped up a level on the move and 15.7% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 78.2% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

The level mix sits close to the market: partners are 29.7% of arrivals, against 27.7% market-wide. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 105 to 92 (-12.4%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. 11.8% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

100 firms hired at least one lateral in Banking & Finance in London in the window. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 33.1% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. First on the hiring table is Paul Hastings, with arrivals in the 11-20 band.

The practice accounts for 24.8% of all lateral moves in London. Over the three years to October 2026, 66.5% of movers came from another firm in London itself. A change of city came with 14.9% of moves (market 20.5%).

There were 51 open roles in Banking & Finance in London on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

For a firm planning a hire in Banking & Finance in London, 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 802 dated deals in Banking & Finance in London in the 12 months to October 2026 and 2,063 over the three years to October 2026.

Banking & lending work is involved in 37.9% of them and Leveraged & acquisition finance in 30.2%.

By client industry, Banks & Financial Institutions comes first with 14.2%.

Latham & Watkins ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 151-250 band.

Over the three years to October 2026, Acquisition & Leveraged Finance was involved in 27.3% of moves in Banking & Finance in London, then Corporate Lending with 13.5%.