Practice by city · November 2026
Funds & Investment Management in Chicago: lateral monitor
Lawyers who changed firm in Funds & Investment Management in Chicago over the last 12 months, set against the practice and the city as a whole.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 23
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- 43.5%
- Partner share of moves
- 49
- Lateral moves, three yearsThree years to October 2026
What the data show
From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 23 lateral moves in Funds & Investment Management in Chicago, 3.9% of the practice's moves.
| Measure | Here | Funds & Investment Management | Chicago | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 43.5% | 36.7% | 26.8% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves | - | 11.1% | 9.5% | 12.7% |
| Associate share of moves | 52.2% | 51.7% | 61.6% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level | - | 11.4% | 8.4% | 12.9% |
| Changed city | 22.7% | 20.4% | 15.7% | 20.5% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 78.3% | 75.8% | 51.2% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | - | rose (+23.7%) | flat (+9.7%) | 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 A dash is a value we do not publish.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.
Against the Funds & Investment Management practice as a whole, the widest gap is the partner share, which is higher here: 43.5% against 36.7%. Against all moves in Chicago, the widest gap is the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers, which is higher here: 78.3% against 51.2%.
Over the three years to October 2026, 49 lawyers moved in Funds & Investment Management in Chicago. They joined 25 different firms. 73.9% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Partner43.5%
- Associate52.2%
At 43.5%, the partner share of arrivals sits above the market's 27.7%.
- 1,000+ lawyers73.9%
- 400-999 lawyers13.0%
78.3% of arrivals went to firms with 1,000+ lawyers, against 53.6% market-wide.
There were 28 open roles in Funds & Investment Management in Chicago on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.
The practice accounts for 3.9% of all lateral moves in Chicago. Over the three years to October 2026, 65.3% of movers came from another firm in Chicago itself. 22.7% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.
Deals in Funds & Investment Management in Chicago
Sartori & Partners data count 159 dated deals in Funds & Investment Management in Chicago in the 12 months to October 2026 and 428 over the three years to October 2026.
Fund formation work is involved in 60.3% of them and M&A in 12.6%.
By client industry, Asset Management & Funds comes first with 49.1%.
Kirkland & Ellis ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 151-250 band.
| Rank | Firm | Deals (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkland & Ellis | 151-250 |
| 2 | Ropes & Gray | 41-60 |
| 3 | Latham & Watkins | 21-40 |
| 4 | Sidley Austin | 21-40 |
| 5 | Vedder | 11-20 |
| 6 | Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath | 11-20 |
| 7 | Cooley | 11-20 |
| 8 | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates | 11-20 |
| 9 | Jones Day | 11-20 |
| 10 | Paul Hastings | 6-10 |
Time to partner in Funds & Investment Management in Chicago
29 lawyers were promoted to partner in Funds & Investment Management in Chicago over five years, according to Sartori & Partners data.
The median time from first year of practice to partner is 9.0 years, with the middle half between 7.0 years and 11.0 years, against a market median of 10.0 years. 85.7% made partner within 12 years.
These figures rest on 28 promotions.
Specialities in Funds & Investment Management in Chicago
Over the three years to October 2026, Private Fund Formation was involved in 57.1% of moves in Funds & Investment Management in Chicago.
Related monitors and reports
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Funds & Investment Management 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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