Corporate & M&A in Washington, DC: lateral monitor

In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 85 lawyers joined a new firm in Corporate & M&A in Washington, DC from November 2025 to October 2026, 2.9% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 70 to 82 (+17.1%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 218 lawyers moved in Corporate & M&A in Washington, DC, 84 of them partners (38.5%). They joined 104 different firms. 11.0% stepped up a level on the move and 15.1% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 68.5% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

This is a partner market: 34.1% of movers were partners, against 27.7% market-wide. On settled 12-month windows partner moves alone showed no clear change: 31 against 31 (0.0%). A step up in title came with 10.6% of moves (market 12.9%).

58 firms hired at least one lateral in Corporate & M&A in Washington, DC in the window. Ten firms account for 36.5% of arrivals, against 12.9% across the market: concentrated. First on the hiring table is Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, with arrivals in the 6-10 band.

The practice accounts for 10.8% of all lateral moves in Washington, DC. Over the three years to October 2026, 72.5% of movers came from another firm in Washington, DC itself. A change of city came with 15.8% of moves (market 20.5%).

There were 45 open roles in Corporate & M&A in Washington, DC on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

With volume in Corporate & M&A in Washington, DC holding level, a hire depends on a specific reason to move, which a firm has to put in front of the candidate.

Sartori & Partners data count 2,042 dated deals in Corporate & M&A in Washington, DC in the 12 months to October 2026 and 4,848 over the three years to October 2026.

M&A work is involved in 79.3% of them and Private equity in 7.4%.

By client industry, Technology & Software comes first with 16.1%.

Latham & Watkins 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 29.4% of moves in Corporate & M&A in Washington, DC, then Joint Ventures with 13.3%.