Corporate & M&A in Frankfurt: lateral monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 36 lateral moves in Corporate & M&A in Frankfurt from November 2025 to October 2026, 1.2% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 49 to 39 (-20.4%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 130 lawyers moved in Corporate & M&A in Frankfurt, 32 of them partners (24.6%). They joined 55 different firms. 5.4% stepped up a level on the move and 26.7% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 82.1% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

The level mix sits close to the market: partners are 25.0% of arrivals, against 27.7% market-wide.

The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. Lateral hires in Corporate & M&A in Frankfurt were spread across 55 firms. Ten firms account for 41.9% of arrivals, against 12.2% across the market: concentrated. First on the hiring table is Kirkland & Ellis, with arrivals in the 6-10 band.

The practice accounts for 35.6% of all lateral moves in Frankfurt. Over the three years to October 2026, 65.4% of movers came from another firm in Frankfurt itself. 29.4% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

With volume in Corporate & M&A in Frankfurt holding level, a hire depends on a specific reason to move, which a firm has to put in front of the candidate.

Sartori & Partners data count 638 dated deals in Corporate & M&A in Frankfurt in the 12 months to October 2026 and 1,785 over the three years to October 2026.

M&A work is involved in 79.6% of them and Private equity in 6.3%.

By client industry, Technology & Software comes first with 12.5%.

Freshfields ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 151-250 band.

Over the three years to October 2026, Private M&A was involved in 49.2% of moves in Corporate & M&A in Frankfurt, then Public M&A with 20.8%.