Regulatory & Compliance in Washington, DC: lateral monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 68 lateral moves in Regulatory & Compliance in Washington, DC from November 2025 to October 2026, 16.7% of the practice's moves. Year on year the count held level (73 to 71 on settled windows, -2.7%). It fell behind the market's own change of +9.0%.

Over the three years to October 2026, 220 lawyers moved in Regulatory & Compliance in Washington, DC, 99 of them partners (45.0%). They joined 86 different firms. 14.5% stepped up a level on the move and 9.1% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 54.4% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

Partners make up 45.6% of arrivals, against 27.7% across the market: a partner-heavy flow. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 29 to 33 (+13.8%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. 16.2% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

Lateral hires in Regulatory & Compliance in Washington, DC were spread across 45 firms. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 44.1% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 6-10 band.

The practice accounts for 8.6% of all lateral moves in Washington, DC. Over the three years to October 2026, 72.7% of movers came from another firm in Washington, DC itself.

With volume in Regulatory & Compliance in Washington, DC holding level, a hire depends on a specific reason to move, which a firm has to put in front of the candidate.

Sartori & Partners data count 63 over the three years to October 2026.

Regulatory & antitrust work is involved in 39.7% of them.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 6-10 band.

Over the three years to October 2026, Power & Gas Regulation was involved in 20.0% of moves in Regulatory & Compliance in Washington, DC, then Telecom & Media Regulation with 12.7%.