Corporate & M&A in Toronto: lateral monitor

From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 40 lateral moves in Corporate & M&A in Toronto, 1.4% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 27 to 41, up 51.9% year on year. It outpaced the market's own change of +9.0%.

Over the three years to October 2026, 96 lawyers moved in Corporate & M&A in Toronto, 39 of them partners (40.6%). They joined 25 different firms. 11.5% stepped up a level on the move and 19.3% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 37.9% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

Partners make up 40.0% of arrivals, against 27.7% across the market: a partner-heavy flow. A step up in title came with 15.0% of moves (market 12.9%).

The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. 25 firms hired at least one lateral in Corporate & M&A in Toronto in the window. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 66.3% of arrivals (12.2% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. First on the hiring table is Miller Thomson, with arrivals in the 6-10 band.

The practice accounts for 29.0% of all lateral moves in Toronto. Over the three years to October 2026, 69.8% of movers came from another firm in Toronto itself.

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

Sartori & Partners data count 239 dated deals in Corporate & M&A in Toronto in the 12 months to October 2026 and 544 over the three years to October 2026.

M&A work is involved in 83.1% of them and Venture & growth in 5.1%.

By client industry, Mining & Metals comes first with 17.1%.

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 101-150 band.

Over the three years to October 2026, Private M&A was involved in 42.7% of moves in Corporate & M&A in Toronto.