Litigation & Disputes in Philadelphia: lateral monitor

From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 150 lateral moves in Litigation & Disputes in Philadelphia, 2.7% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 137 to 153 (+11.7%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 409 lawyers moved in Litigation & Disputes in Philadelphia, 104 of them partners (25.4%). They joined 107 different firms. 13.2% stepped up a level on the move and 20.8% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 29.7% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

With partners at 24.0% of arrivals, the mix is in line with the market's 27.7%. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 33 to 35 (+6.1%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. A step up in title came with 17.3% of moves (market 12.9%).

Lateral hires in Litigation & Disputes in Philadelphia were spread across 72 firms. Ten firms account for 34.3% of arrivals, against 12.9% across the market: concentrated. Flaster Greenberg ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 6-10 band.

The practice accounts for 55.6% of all lateral moves in Philadelphia. Over the three years to October 2026, 58.7% of movers came from another firm in Philadelphia itself. 20.5% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

Group moves were 4.7% of the total (market 1.5%).

For a firm planning a hire in Litigation & Disputes in Philadelphia, 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 48 dated deals in Litigation & Disputes in Philadelphia in the 12 months to October 2026 and 112 over the three years to October 2026.

Disputes & investigations work is involved in 99.1% of them.

Berger Montague 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 28.1% of moves in Litigation & Disputes in Philadelphia, then Professional Liability with 11.0%.