Practice by city · November 2026
Construction in London: lateral monitor
Lawyers who changed firm in Construction in London over the last 12 months, set against the practice and the city as a whole.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 57
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- -14.9%
- Year on yearSettled 12-month windows
- 28.1%
- Partner share of moves
- 42
- Firms that hired
What the data show
In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 57 lawyers joined a new firm in Construction in London from November 2025 to October 2026, 6.8% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 67 to 57 (-14.9%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.
| Measure | Here | Construction | London | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 28.1% | 32.0% | 29.3% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves | 15.8% | 15.4% | 9.1% | 12.7% |
| Associate share of moves | 56.1% | 52.4% | 60.4% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level | 15.8% | 16.8% | 11.5% | 12.9% |
| Changed city | 20.0% | 21.9% | 15.2% | 20.5% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 49.1% | 34.0% | 68.5% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | flat (-14.9%) | flat (-1.8%) | flat (-2.5%) | rose (+9.0%) |
12 months to October 2026 unless the row says three years; a row switches to three years for every column when this page's 12-month value is not published. A dash is a value we do not publish. Flat means a change under 5% or inside the noise of the two counts.
Against the Construction practice as a whole, the widest gap is the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers, which is higher here: 49.1% against 34.0%. Set against all moves in London, the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers stands out most: 49.1% here against 68.5%, below it. Year on year it moved with the Construction practice as a whole: both flat.
Over the three years to October 2026, 182 lawyers moved in Construction in London, 51 of them partners (28.0%). They joined 64 different firms. 14.8% stepped up a level on the move and 19.9% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 56.5% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Partner28.1%
- Counsel15.8%
- Associate56.1%
The level mix sits close to the market: partners are 28.1% of arrivals, against 27.7% market-wide. 15.8% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.
- 1,000+ lawyers49.1%
- 400-999 lawyers34.5%
- under 150 lawyers10.9%
The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. 64 firms hired at least one lateral in Construction in London in the window. Ten firms account for 37.4% of arrivals, against 12.2% across the market: concentrated. CMS ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 11-20 band.
- 1,000+ lawyers56.5%
- 400-999 lawyers32.3%
- 150-399 lawyers3.1%
- under 150 lawyers8.1%
The practice accounts for 4.4% of all lateral moves in London. Over the three years to October 2026, 62.1% of movers came from another firm in London itself. 20.0% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.
For a firm planning a hire in Construction 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.
Firms by rank and band
Each firm appears as a rank and a band, never an exact count, and only with at least 10 moves in the window.
| Rank | Firm | Moves (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CMS | 11-20 |
| 2 | Stephenson Harwood | 6-10 |
| 3 | Simmons & Simmons | 6-10 |
| 4 | Eversheds Sutherland | 6-10 |
| 5 | Osborne Clarke | 6-10 |
| 6 | Hill Dickinson | 6-10 |
| 7 | Clyde & Co | 6-10 |
| 8 | Penningtons Manches Cooper | 3-5 |
| 9 | Mayer Brown | 3-5 |
| 10 | Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer | 3-5 |
Time to partner in Construction in London
74 lawyers were promoted to partner in Construction in London over five years, according to Sartori & Partners data.
The median time from first year of practice to partner is 11.0 years, with the middle half between 10.0 years and 13.0 years, against a market median of 10.0 years. 70.7% made partner within 12 years.
These figures rest on 41 promotions.
Specialities in Construction in London
Over the three years to October 2026, Construction Disputes was involved in 45.6% of moves in Construction in London, then Construction Contracts with 25.8%.
Related monitors and reports
Other practices in London
- Banking & Finance
- Corporate & M&A
- Litigation & Disputes
- Private Equity
- Real Estate
- Restructuring & Insolvency
- Funds & Investment Management
- Technology, Data & Privacy
- Projects & Infrastructure
- Capital Markets
- Tax
- Employment & Labor
- Intellectual Property
- Antitrust & Competition
- Insurance & Reinsurance
- International Arbitration & Public International Law
- Environment & Sustainability
- Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation
- Regulatory & Compliance
- White Collar, Investigations & Criminal
- Financial Services Regulatory
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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