Practice by city · November 2026
Private Equity in San Francisco: lateral monitor
Lawyers who changed firm in Private Equity in San Francisco over the last 12 months, set against the practice and the city as a whole.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 27
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- +40.0%
- Year on yearSettled 12-month windows
- 51.9%
- Partner share of moves
- 22
- Firms that hired
What the data show
Sartori & Partners data show 27 lateral moves in Private Equity in San Francisco from November 2025 to October 2026, 2.2% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 20 to 28 (+40.0%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.
| Measure | Here | Private Equity | San Francisco | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 51.9% | 38.1% | 24.9% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves (three years) | 13.8% | 10.0% | 15.0% | 12.1% |
| Associate share of moves | 29.6% | 50.1% | 58.9% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level (three years) | 10.8% | 12.6% | 13.2% | 12.3% |
| Changed city | 23.1% | 21.1% | 15.0% | 20.5% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 80.8% | 71.6% | 57.7% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | flat (+40.0%) | rose (+14.9%) | rose (+30.1%) | 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 A dash is a value we do not publish.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.
Against the Private Equity practice as a whole, the widest gap is the associate share, which is lower here: 29.6% against 50.1%. Against all moves in San Francisco, the widest gap is the associate share, which is lower here: 29.6% against 58.9%. Year on year it held flat while the Private Equity practice as a whole rose.
Over the three years to October 2026, 65 lawyers moved in Private Equity in San Francisco, 30 of them partners (46.2%). They joined 36 different firms. 10.8% stepped up a level on the move and 23.2% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 84.1% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Partner51.9%
- Associate29.6%
At 51.9%, the partner share of arrivals sits above the market's 27.7%.
22 firms hired at least one lateral in Private Equity in San Francisco in the window. Firms in the 1,000+ lawyers class took 80.8% of arrivals, against 53.6% across the market.
The practice accounts for 6.0% of all lateral moves in San Francisco. Over the three years to October 2026, 66.2% of movers came from another firm in San Francisco itself. A change of city came with 23.1% of moves (market 20.5%).
For a firm planning a hire in Private Equity 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.
Deals in Private Equity in San Francisco
Sartori & Partners data count 170 dated deals in Private Equity in San Francisco in the 12 months to October 2026 and 400 over the three years to October 2026.
Private equity work is involved in 58.5% of them and Venture & growth in 8.2%.
By client industry, Financial Sponsors comes first with 85.8%.
Kirkland & Ellis ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 61-100 band.
| Rank | Firm | Deals (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkland & Ellis | 61-100 |
| 2 | Ropes & Gray | 61-100 |
| 3 | Latham & Watkins | 41-60 |
| 4 | Weil Gotshal & Manges | 21-40 |
| 5 | McDermott Will & Schulte | 11-20 |
| 6 | Paul Hastings | 11-20 |
| 7 | Debevoise & Plimpton | 11-20 |
| 8 | Morrison & Foerster | 11-20 |
| 9 | Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher | 6-10 |
| 10 | Goodwin Procter | 6-10 |
Time to partner in Private Equity in San Francisco
21 lawyers were promoted to partner in Private Equity in San Francisco over five years, according to Sartori & Partners data.
Related monitors and reports
Other practices in San Francisco
Private Equity in other cities
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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