Litigation & Disputes in San Francisco: lateral monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 226 lateral moves in Litigation & Disputes in San Francisco from November 2025 to October 2026, 4.0% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 208 to 240 (+15.4%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 610 lawyers moved in Litigation & Disputes in San Francisco, 168 of them partners (27.5%). They joined 149 different firms. 13.4% stepped up a level on the move and 14.3% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 60.8% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

The level mix sits close to the market: partners are 25.7% of arrivals, against 27.7% market-wide. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 65 to 60 (-7.7%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. A step up in title came with 12.4% of moves (market 12.9%).

103 firms hired at least one lateral in Litigation & Disputes in San Francisco in the window. Ten firms account for 27.6% of arrivals, against 12.9% across the market: moderately concentrated. Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 11-20 band.

The practice accounts for 49.9% of all lateral moves in San Francisco. Over the three years to October 2026, 68.5% of movers came from another firm in San Francisco itself. A change of city came with 12.6% of moves (market 20.5%).

Group moves were 4.0% of the total (market 1.5%).

There were 67 open roles in Litigation & Disputes in San Francisco on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

For a firm planning a hire in Litigation & Disputes in San Francisco, 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 61 dated deals in Litigation & Disputes in San Francisco in the 12 months to October 2026 and 200 over the three years to October 2026.

Disputes & investigations work is involved in 97.5% of them.

By client industry, Technology & Software comes first with 13.5%.

Latham & Watkins 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 30.5% of moves in Litigation & Disputes in San Francisco, then Class Actions with 22.1%.