Corporate & M&A in San Francisco: lateral monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 105 lateral moves in Corporate & M&A in San Francisco from November 2025 to October 2026, 3.6% of the practice's moves. Measured on settled 12-month windows, 104 moves against 69 the year before, the count rose 50.7%. That runs ahead of the wider market, which moved +9.0%.

Over the three years to October 2026, 233 lawyers moved in Corporate & M&A in San Francisco, 83 of them partners (35.6%). They joined 72 different firms. 12.4% stepped up a level on the move and 15.8% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 76.7% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

At 33.3%, the partner share of arrivals sits above the market's 27.7%. Year on year, on windows that end a month early, partner moves alone grew 60.9% (23 to 37). 12.4% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

51 firms hired at least one lateral in Corporate & M&A in San Francisco in the window. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 50.5% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. First on the hiring table is Cooley, with arrivals in the 6-10 band.

The practice accounts for 23.2% of all lateral moves in San Francisco. Over the three years to October 2026, 73.4% of movers came from another firm in San Francisco itself. 12.8% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

There were 68 open roles in Corporate & M&A in San Francisco on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

For a firm hiring in Corporate & M&A in San Francisco, the pool is moving and partners are part of it: expect competing offers and budget time for a contested process.

Sartori & Partners data count 1,295 dated deals in Corporate & M&A in San Francisco in the 12 months to October 2026 and 3,074 over the three years to October 2026.

M&A work is involved in 65.2% of them and Venture & growth in 24.3%.

By client industry, Technology & Software comes first with 31.3%.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 401-700 band.

Over the three years to October 2026, Private M&A was involved in 36.5% of moves in Corporate & M&A in San Francisco, then Venture Capital & Startups with 34.3%.