Practice by city · November 2026
Real Estate in San Francisco: lateral monitor
Lawyers who changed firm in Real Estate 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
- 25
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- 44.0%
- Partner share of moves
- 60
- Lateral moves, three yearsThree years to October 2026
What the data show
From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 25 lateral moves in Real Estate in San Francisco, 1.7% of the practice's moves.
| Measure | Here | Real Estate | San Francisco | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 44.0% | 28.9% | 24.9% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves | 20.0% | 14.6% | 15.0% | 12.7% |
| Associate share of moves | 36.0% | 56.4% | 58.9% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level | 28.0% | 13.6% | 14.1% | 12.9% |
| Changed city | - | 20.4% | 15.0% | 20.5% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 70.8% | 44.0% | 57.7% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | - | rose (+7.9%) | 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 A dash is a value we do not publish.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 Real Estate practice as a whole, the widest gap is the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers, which is higher here: 70.8% against 44.0%. Set against all moves in San Francisco, the associate share stands out most: 36.0% here against 58.9%, below it.
Over the three years to October 2026, 60 lawyers moved in Real Estate in San Francisco, 27 of them partners (45.0%). They joined 35 different firms. 54.0% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Partner44.0%
- Counsel20.0%
- Associate36.0%
Partners make up 44.0% of arrivals, against 27.7% across the market: a partner-heavy flow. 28.0% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.
- 1,000+ lawyers54.0%
- 400-999 lawyers14.0%
- 150-399 lawyers14.0%
- under 150 lawyers18.0%
70.8% of arrivals went to firms with 1,000+ lawyers, against 53.6% market-wide.
There were 20 open roles in Real Estate in San Francisco on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.
The practice accounts for 5.5% of all lateral moves in San Francisco. Over the three years to October 2026, 73.3% of movers came from another firm in San Francisco itself.
Deals in Real Estate in San Francisco
Sartori & Partners data count 49 over the three years to October 2026.
Real estate work is involved in 59.2% of them.
By client industry, Real Estate comes first with 49.0%.
Holland & Knight ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 6-10 band.
| Rank | Firm | Deals (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holland & Knight | 6-10 |
| 2 | Kirkland & Ellis | 3-5 |
| 3 | Morrison & Foerster | 3-5 |
Specialities in Real Estate in San Francisco
Over the three years to October 2026, Commercial Real Estate Transactions was involved in 43.3% of moves in Real Estate in San Francisco, then Real Estate Leasing with 38.3%.
Related monitors and reports
Other practices in San Francisco
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].
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