Practice by city · November 2026
Corporate & M&A in Tokyo: lateral monitor
Lawyers who changed firm in Corporate & M&A in Tokyo over the last 12 months, set against the practice and the city as a whole.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 20
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- 30.0%
- Partner share of moves
- 45
- Lateral moves, three yearsThree years to October 2026
What the data show
From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 20 lateral moves in Corporate & M&A in Tokyo, 0.7% of the practice's moves.
| Measure | Here | Corporate & M&A | Tokyo | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 30.0% | 29.9% | 36.2% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves | 40.0% | 11.3% | 25.5% | 12.7% |
| Associate share of moves | 30.0% | 57.7% | 38.3% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level | 35.0% | 12.4% | 29.8% | 12.9% |
| Changed city (three years) | 32.1% | 22.5% | 34.8% | 21.6% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 95.0% | 62.6% | 83.0% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | - | rose (+15.8%) | rose (+84.6%) | 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 A dash is a value we do not publish.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.
Set against the Corporate & M&A practice as a whole, the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers stands out most: 95.0% here against 62.6%, above it. Against all moves in Tokyo, the widest gap is the counsel share, which is higher here: 40.0% against 25.5%.
- Partner30.0%
- Counsel40.0%
- Associate30.0%
Over the three years to October 2026, 45 lawyers moved in Corporate & M&A in Tokyo. They joined 21 different firms. 24.4% stepped up a level on the move and 32.1% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 79.1% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- 1,000+ lawyers79.1%
- 400-999 lawyers18.6%
With partners at 30.0% of arrivals, the mix is in line with the market's 27.7%. 35.0% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.
95.0% of arrivals went to firms with 1,000+ lawyers, against 53.6% market-wide.
The practice accounts for 42.6% of all lateral moves in Tokyo.
Deals in Corporate & M&A in Tokyo
Sartori & Partners data count 185 dated deals in Corporate & M&A in Tokyo in the 12 months to October 2026 and 587 over the three years to October 2026.
M&A work is involved in 82.5% of them.
By client industry, Automotive comes first with 7.5%.
Nishimura & Asahi ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 251-400 band.
| Rank | Firm | Deals (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nishimura & Asahi | 251-400 |
| 2 | Freshfields | 21-40 |
| 3 | Mori Hamada | 21-40 |
| 4 | Latham & Watkins | 21-40 |
| 5 | Morrison & Foerster | 21-40 |
| 6 | Clifford Chance | 11-20 |
| 7 | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | 11-20 |
| 8 | Baker McKenzie | 11-20 |
| 9 | White & Case | 11-20 |
| 10 | Linklaters | 11-20 |
Time to partner in Corporate & M&A in Tokyo
34 lawyers were promoted to partner in Corporate & M&A in Tokyo over five years, according to Sartori & Partners data.
Related monitors and reports
Corporate & M&A in other cities
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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