Litigation & Disputes in Chicago: lateral monitor

From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 245 lateral moves in Litigation & Disputes in Chicago, 4.4% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 264 to 247 (-6.4%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 746 lawyers moved in Litigation & Disputes in Chicago, 216 of them partners (29.0%). They joined 180 different firms. 10.2% stepped up a level on the move and 14.2% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 50.5% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

With partners at 26.9% of arrivals, the mix is in line with the market's 27.7%. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 84 to 63, down 25.0% year on year. 7.3% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

Lateral hires in Litigation & Disputes in Chicago were spread across 112 firms. Ten firms account for 22.1% of arrivals, against 12.9% across the market: moderately concentrated. Amundsen Davis ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 6-10 band.

The practice accounts for 41.0% of all lateral moves in Chicago. Over the three years to October 2026, 69.0% of movers came from another firm in Chicago itself. A change of city came with 10.7% of moves (market 20.5%).

There were 38 open roles in Litigation & Disputes in Chicago on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

With volume in Litigation & Disputes 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 76 dated deals in Litigation & Disputes in Chicago in the 12 months to October 2026 and 183 over the three years to October 2026.

Disputes & investigations work is involved in 97.8% of them.

Jenner & Block ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 11-20 band.

Over the three years to October 2026, Commercial Litigation was involved in 35.1% of moves in Litigation & Disputes in Chicago, then Class Actions with 17.3%.