Practice by city · November 2026
Real Estate in Boston: lateral monitor
Lawyers who changed firm in Real Estate in Boston over the last 12 months, set against the practice and the city as a whole.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 32
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- 67
- Lateral moves, three yearsThree years to October 2026
What the data show
In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 32 lawyers joined a new firm in Real Estate in Boston from November 2025 to October 2026, 2.1% of the practice's moves.
| Measure | Here | Real Estate | Boston | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves (three years) | 25.4% | 31.7% | 30.1% | 26.9% |
| Counsel share of moves | 18.8% | 14.6% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| Associate share of moves | 71.9% | 56.4% | 57.5% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level (three years) | 16.4% | 14.2% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| Changed city (three years) | 10.5% | 21.2% | 15.2% | 21.6% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 48.4% | 44.0% | 57.9% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | - | rose (+7.9%) | rose (+23.7%) | 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 A dash is a value we do not publish.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 Real Estate practice as a whole, the associate share stands out most: 71.9% here against 56.4%, above it. Set against all moves in Boston, the associate share stands out most: 71.9% here against 57.5%, above it.
Over the three years to October 2026, 67 lawyers moved in Real Estate in Boston. They joined 32 different firms. 16.4% stepped up a level on the move and 10.5% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 55.8% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Counsel18.8%
- Associate71.9%
The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. 32 firms hired at least one lateral in Real Estate in Boston in the window. Ten firms account for 59.7% of arrivals, against 12.2% across the market: concentrated. Nixon Peabody ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 6-10 band.
- 1,000+ lawyers48.4%
- 150-399 lawyers41.9%
The practice accounts for 8.8% of all lateral moves in Boston. Over the three years to October 2026, 76.1% of movers came from another firm in Boston itself.
- 1,000+ lawyers55.8%
- 150-399 lawyers27.9%
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 | Nixon Peabody | 6-10 |
| 2 | Greenberg Traurig | 3-5 |
| 3 | Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott | 3-5 |
| 4 | Troutman Pepper Locke | 3-5 |
| 5 | DLA Piper | 3-5 |
| 6 | Polsinelli | 3-5 |
Deals in Real Estate in Boston
Sartori & Partners data count 27 dated deals in Real Estate in Boston in the 12 months to October 2026 and 46 over the three years to October 2026.
Real estate work is involved in 65.2% of them.
By client industry, Real Estate comes first with 56.5%.
Brown Rudnick ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 6-10 band.
| Rank | Firm | Deals (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brown Rudnick | 6-10 |
| 2 | DLA Piper | 3-5 |
| 3 | Ropes & Gray | 3-5 |
| 4 | Greenberg Traurig | 3-5 |
| 5 | Proskauer Rose | 3-5 |
| 6 | Goodwin Procter | 3-5 |
Time to partner in Real Estate in Boston
22 lawyers were promoted to partner in Real Estate in Boston over five years, according to Sartori & Partners data.
The median time from first year of practice to partner is 11.0 years, with the middle half between 10.0 years and 14.0 years, against a market median of 10.0 years. 57.1% made partner within 12 years.
These figures rest on 21 promotions.
Specialities in Real Estate in Boston
Over the three years to October 2026, Real Estate Finance was involved in 47.8% of moves in Real Estate in Boston, then Commercial Real Estate Transactions with 44.8%.
Related monitors and reports
Other practices in Boston
Real Estate 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].
For law firm leaders
Planning a partner hire in this market?
We run retained partner searches using the same data behind this page.