Employment & Labor in Chicago: lateral monitor

From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 68 lateral moves in Employment & Labor in Chicago, 4.5% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 60 to 66 (+10.0%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 191 lawyers moved in Employment & Labor in Chicago, 53 of them partners (27.7%). They joined 82 different firms. 14.7% stepped up a level on the move and 16.2% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 55.0% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

Partners account for 30.9% of movers, near the market's 27.7%. 16.2% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. Lateral hires in Employment & Labor in Chicago were spread across 82 firms. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 34.6% of arrivals (12.2% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. First on the hiring table is Jackson Lewis, with arrivals in the 6-10 band.

The practice accounts for 11.4% of all lateral moves in Chicago. Over the three years to October 2026, 70.2% of movers came from another firm in Chicago itself. 12.5% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

With volume in Employment & Labor in Chicago 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 40 over the three years to October 2026.

Disputes & investigations work is involved in 95.0% of them.

Jones Day ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 6-10 band.

Over the three years to October 2026, Employment Litigation was involved in 69.1% of moves in Employment & Labor in Chicago, then Discrimination & Harassment with 40.8%.