Intellectual Property in Chicago: lateral monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 53 lateral moves in Intellectual Property in Chicago from November 2025 to October 2026, 5.1% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 59 to 55 (-6.8%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 167 lawyers moved in Intellectual Property in Chicago, 55 of them partners (32.9%). They joined 72 different firms. 9.6% stepped up a level on the move and 14.6% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 57.2% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

This is a partner market: 37.7% of movers were partners, against 27.7% market-wide.

The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. Lateral hires in Intellectual Property in Chicago were spread across 72 firms. Ten firms account for 42.2% of arrivals, against 12.2% across the market: concentrated. First on the hiring table is Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, with arrivals in the 11-20 band.

The practice accounts for 8.9% of all lateral moves in Chicago. Over the three years to October 2026, 70.1% of movers came from another firm in Chicago itself.

There were 28 open roles in Intellectual Property in Chicago on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

With volume in Intellectual Property 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 514 dated deals in Intellectual Property in Chicago in the 12 months to October 2026 and 1,262 over the three years to October 2026.

Disputes & investigations work is involved in 98.7% of them.

By client industry, Consumer Goods & Retail comes first with 11.9%.

Barnes & Thornburg ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 151-250 band.

Over the three years to October 2026, Patent Litigation was involved in 39.5% of moves in Intellectual Property in Chicago, then Trade Secrets with 26.3%.