Corporate & M&A in London: lateral monitor

In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 304 lawyers joined a new firm in Corporate & M&A in London from November 2025 to October 2026, 10.4% of the practice's moves. Year on year the count held level (324 to 312 on settled windows, -3.7%). That trails the wider market, which moved +9.0%.

Over the three years to October 2026, 901 lawyers moved in Corporate & M&A in London, 249 of them partners (27.6%). They joined 129 different firms. 10.4% stepped up a level on the move and 19.1% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 70.6% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

Partners account for 27.0% of movers, near the market's 27.7%. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 93 to 84 (-9.7%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. 9.2% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

Lateral hires in Corporate & M&A in London were spread across 91 firms. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 33.6% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. First on the hiring table is Latham & Watkins, with arrivals in the 11-20 band.

The practice accounts for 23.3% of all lateral moves in London. Over the three years to October 2026, 60.3% of movers came from another firm in London itself. 15.1% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

There were 22 open roles in Corporate & M&A in London on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

For a firm planning a hire in Corporate & M&A 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 1,964 dated deals in Corporate & M&A in London in the 12 months to October 2026 and 5,273 over the three years to October 2026.

M&A work is involved in 75.4% of them and Private equity in 8.2%.

By client industry, Technology & Software comes first with 12.9%.

Latham & Watkins ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 251-400 band.

Over the three years to October 2026, Private M&A was involved in 47.2% of moves in Corporate & M&A in London, then Public M&A with 13.2%.