Tax in Chicago: lateral monitor

From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 37 lateral moves in Tax in Chicago, 5.2% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 20 to 40, up 100.0% year on year. The market as a whole moved +9.0%, so this flow outpaced it.

Over the three years to October 2026, 88 lawyers moved in Tax in Chicago, 33 of them partners (37.5%). They joined 53 different firms. 11.4% stepped up a level on the move and 14.5% 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.

At 40.5%, the partner share of arrivals sits above the market's 27.7%. 16.2% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. 53 firms hired at least one lateral in Tax in Chicago in the window. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 38.6% of arrivals (12.2% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. First on the hiring table is Taft Stettinius & Hollister, with arrivals in the 6-10 band.

The practice accounts for 6.2% of all lateral moves in Chicago. Over the three years to October 2026, 67.0% of movers came from another firm in Chicago itself.

There were 30 open roles in Tax in Chicago on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

A firm recruiting in Tax in Chicago is buying into a rising, partner-heavy flow, so the strongest candidates will hear from more than one firm.

39 lawyers were promoted to partner in Tax in Chicago 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 12.0 years, against a market median of 10.0 years. 77.8% made partner within 12 years.

These figures rest on 36 promotions.