Practice by city · November 2026
Health Care in Washington, DC: lateral monitor
Lawyers who changed firm in Health Care in Washington, DC over the last 12 months, set against the practice and the city as a whole.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 53
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- +68.8%
- Year on yearSettled 12-month windows
- 52.8%
- Partner share of moves
- 36
- Firms that hired
What the data show
In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 53 lawyers joined a new firm in Health Care in Washington, DC from November 2025 to October 2026, 12.6% of the practice's moves. Measured on settled 12-month windows, 54 moves against 32 the year before, the count rose 68.8%. It outpaced the market's own change of +9.0%.
| Measure | Here | Health Care | Washington, DC | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 52.8% | 36.3% | 37.7% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves (three years) | 14.5% | 13.8% | 13.2% | 12.1% |
| Associate share of moves | 34.0% | 50.1% | 49.9% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level | 13.2% | 13.6% | 12.2% | 12.9% |
| Changed city | 16.3% | 17.3% | 15.7% | 20.5% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 66.0% | 48.5% | 67.1% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | rose (+68.8%) | rose (+14.5%) | rose (+12.4%) | 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 A dash is a value we do not publish.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 Health Care practice as a whole, the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers stands out most: 66.0% here against 48.5%, above it. Against all moves in Washington, DC, the widest gap is the associate share, which is lower here: 34.0% against 49.9%. Year on year it moved with the Health Care practice as a whole: both rose.
Over the three years to October 2026, 131 lawyers moved in Health Care in Washington, DC, 58 of them partners (44.3%). They joined 64 different firms. 12.2% stepped up a level on the move and 15.5% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 53.7% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Partner52.8%
- Associate34.0%
At 52.8%, the partner share of arrivals sits above the market's 27.7%. 13.2% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.
- 1,000+ lawyers66.0%
- 400-999 lawyers24.0%
Lateral hires in Health Care in Washington, DC were spread across 36 firms. Ten firms account for 50.9% of arrivals, against 12.9% across the market: concentrated. Bass, Berry & Sims ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 6-10 band.
- 1,000+ lawyers53.7%
- 400-999 lawyers27.3%
- 150-399 lawyers13.2%
- under 150 lawyers5.8%
The practice accounts for 6.7% of all lateral moves in Washington, DC. Over the three years to October 2026, 66.4% of movers came from another firm in Washington, DC itself. 16.3% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.
A firm recruiting in Health Care in Washington, DC is buying into a rising, partner-heavy flow, so the strongest candidates will hear from more than one firm.
Firms by rank and band
Each firm appears as a rank and a band, never an exact count, and only with at least 10 moves in the window.
| Rank | Firm | Moves (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bass, Berry & Sims | 6-10 |
| 2 | King & Spalding | 3-5 |
| 3 | McGuireWoods | 3-5 |
Deals in Health Care in Washington, DC
Sartori & Partners data count 79 dated deals in Health Care in Washington, DC in the 12 months to October 2026 and 223 over the three years to October 2026.
Disputes & investigations work is involved in 37.2% of them and M&A in 31.4%.
By client industry, Healthcare Providers & Payors comes first with 62.3%.
Bass, Berry & Sims ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 41-60 band.
| Rank | Firm | Deals (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bass, Berry & Sims | 41-60 |
| 2 | King & Spalding | 21-40 |
| 3 | Jones Day | 11-20 |
| 4 | Hogan Lovells Cadwalader | 11-20 |
| 5 | Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath | 11-20 |
| 6 | Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton | 6-10 |
| 7 | McDermott Will & Schulte | 6-10 |
| 8 | Goodwin Procter | 6-10 |
| 9 | Polsinelli | 3-5 |
| 10 | Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe | 3-5 |
Time to partner in Health Care in Washington, DC
50 lawyers were promoted to partner in Health Care in Washington, DC over five years, according to Sartori & Partners data.
The median time from first year of practice to partner is 11.0 years, with the middle half between 10.0 years and 13.8 years, against a market median of 10.0 years. 71.7% made partner within 12 years.
These figures rest on 46 promotions.
Specialities in Health Care in Washington, DC
Over the three years to October 2026, Healthcare Regulatory & Reimbursement was involved in 31.3% of moves in Health Care in Washington, DC, then FDA & Life Sciences Regulatory with 29.8%.
Related monitors and reports
Other practices in Washington, DC
- Litigation & Disputes
- Intellectual Property
- White Collar, Investigations & Criminal
- Corporate & M&A
- Public Law & Government
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Banking & Finance
- International Trade & National Security
- Antitrust & Competition
- Technology, Data & Privacy
- Tax
- Private Equity
- Financial Services Regulatory
- Projects & Infrastructure
- Real Estate
- Funds & Investment Management
- Employment & Labor
- Environment & Sustainability
- Insurance & Reinsurance
Health Care 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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