Corporate & M&A in New York: lateral monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 504 lateral moves in Corporate & M&A in New York from November 2025 to October 2026, 17.3% of the practice's moves. Year on year, on windows that end a month early, the count grew 25.5% (404 to 507). The market as a whole moved +9.0%, so this flow outpaced it.

Over the three years to October 2026, 1,237 lawyers moved in Corporate & M&A in New York, 381 of them partners (30.8%). They joined 191 different firms. 11.2% stepped up a level on the move and 13.3% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 72.4% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

The level mix sits close to the market: partners are 30.4% of arrivals, against 27.7% market-wide. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 140 to 148 (+5.7%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. A step up in title came with 11.9% of moves (market 12.9%).

132 firms hired at least one lateral in Corporate & M&A in New York in the window. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 35.5% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. First on the hiring table is Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, with arrivals in the 21-40 band.

The practice accounts for 24.2% of all lateral moves in New York. Over the three years to October 2026, 72.5% of movers came from another firm in New York itself. 11.1% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

There were 100 open roles in Corporate & M&A in New York on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

Volume in Corporate & M&A in New York is rising with a mix close to the market, so timing matters more than the level you hire at.

Sartori & Partners data count 3,757 dated deals in Corporate & M&A in New York in the 12 months to October 2026 and 9,482 over the three years to October 2026.

M&A work is involved in 77.9% of them and Venture & growth in 7.5%.

By client industry, Technology & Software comes first with 15.3%.

Latham & Watkins ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 701-1200 band.

Over the three years to October 2026, Private M&A was involved in 37.1% of moves in Corporate & M&A in New York, then Joint Ventures with 11.2%.