Practice by city · November 2026
Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York: lateral monitor
Lawyers who changed firm in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York over the last 12 months, set against the practice and the city as a whole.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 44
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- +9.5%
- Year on yearSettled 12-month windows
- 27.3%
- Partner share of moves
- 26
- Firms that hired
What the data show
In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 44 lawyers joined a new firm in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York from November 2025 to October 2026, 17.5% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 42 to 46 (+9.5%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.
| Measure | Here | Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation | New York | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 27.3% | 30.2% | 28.3% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves | 18.2% | 19.8% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| Associate share of moves | 54.5% | 48.8% | 58.4% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level | 15.9% | 17.5% | 11.6% | 12.9% |
| Changed city (three years) | 6.2% | 19.6% | 12.4% | 21.6% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 86.0% | 61.9% | 62.6% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | flat (+9.5%) | rose (+16.6%) | rose (+11.9%) | rose (+9.0%) |
12 months to October 2026 unless the row says three years; a row switches to three years for every column when this page's 12-month value is not published. A dash is a value we do not publish. Flat means a change under 5% or inside the noise of the two counts.
Set against the Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation practice as a whole, the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers stands out most: 86.0% here against 61.9%, above it. Against all moves in New York, the widest gap is the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers, which is higher here: 86.0% against 62.6%. Year on year it held flat while the Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation practice as a whole rose.
Over the three years to October 2026, 118 lawyers moved in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York, 35 of them partners (29.7%). They joined 62 different firms. 13.6% stepped up a level on the move and 6.2% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 68.2% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Partner27.3%
- Counsel18.2%
- Associate54.5%
The level mix sits close to the market: partners are 27.3% of arrivals, against 27.7% market-wide. 15.9% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.
- 1,000+ lawyers68.2%
- 400-999 lawyers13.6%
- 150-399 lawyers13.6%
- under 150 lawyers4.5%
The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. Lateral hires in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York were spread across 62 firms. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 39.0% of arrivals (12.2% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 6-10 band.
The practice accounts for 2.1% of all lateral moves in New York. Over the three years to October 2026, 77.1% of movers came from another firm in New York itself.
There were 38 open roles in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.
With volume in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York holding level, a hire depends on a specific reason to move, which a firm has to put in front of the candidate.
Firms by rank and band
Each firm appears as a rank and a band, never an exact count, and only with at least 10 moves in the window.
| Rank | Firm | Moves (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison | 6-10 |
| 2 | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates | 6-10 |
| 3 | Kirkland & Ellis | 6-10 |
| 4 | Freshfields | 3-5 |
| 5 | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | 3-5 |
| 6 | Paul Hastings | 3-5 |
| 7 | Willkie Farr & Gallagher | 3-5 |
| 8 | White & Case | 3-5 |
| 9 | Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton | 3-5 |
| 10 | Davis Polk & Wardwell | 3-5 |
Deals in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York
Sartori & Partners data count 47 over the three years to October 2026.
M&A work is involved in 42.6% of them.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 21-40 band.
| Rank | Firm | Deals (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willkie Farr & Gallagher | 21-40 |
| 2 | Morrison & Foerster | 6-10 |
Time to partner in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York
33 lawyers were promoted to partner in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York over five years, according to Sartori & Partners data.
The median time from first year of practice to partner is 10.0 years, with the middle half between 9.0 years and 14.0 years, against a market median of 10.0 years. 66.7% made partner within 12 years.
These figures rest on 30 promotions.
Specialities in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York
Over the three years to October 2026, Executive Compensation was involved in 68.6% of moves in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York, then Equity Incentive Plans & ESOPs with 33.1%.
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Hiring in this market
Edition November 2026. Window: November 2025 to October 2026. Source: Sartori & Partners, from public law-firm announcements, firm websites and professional profiles, checked monthly. Methodology. Spot an error? [email protected].
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