Litigation & Disputes in Houston: lateral monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 127 lateral moves in Litigation & Disputes in Houston from November 2025 to October 2026, 2.3% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 114 to 138 (+21.1%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 393 lawyers moved in Litigation & Disputes in Houston, 111 of them partners (28.2%). They joined 120 different firms. 13.0% 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. 46.0% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

With partners at 29.1% of arrivals, the mix is in line with the market's 27.7%. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 31 to 37 (+19.4%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. 9.4% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

70 firms hired at least one lateral in Litigation & Disputes in Houston in the window. Ten firms account for 34.4% of arrivals, against 12.9% across the market: concentrated. First on the hiring table is Mayer Brown, with arrivals in the 6-10 band.

The practice accounts for 38.4% of all lateral moves in Houston. Over the three years to October 2026, 68.4% of movers came from another firm in Houston itself. 18.1% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

There were 29 open roles in Litigation & Disputes in Houston on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

For a firm planning a hire in Litigation & Disputes in Houston, a flat market means candidates are not being pulled by a wave: the case for a move has to come from the platform.

Sartori & Partners data count 52 dated deals in Litigation & Disputes in Houston in the 12 months to October 2026 and 132 over the three years to October 2026.

Disputes & investigations work is involved in 97.0% of them.

By client industry, Oil & Gas comes first with 18.9%.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher 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 45.8% of moves in Litigation & Disputes in Houston, then Class Actions with 5.1%.