Practice by city · November 2026
Tax in London: lateral monitor
Lawyers who changed firm in Tax in London over the last 12 months, set against the practice and the city as a whole.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 62
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- 0.0%
- Year on yearSettled 12-month windows
- 37.1%
- Partner share of moves
- 40
- Firms that hired
What the data show
Sartori & Partners data show 62 lateral moves in Tax in London from November 2025 to October 2026, 8.7% of the practice's moves. On settled windows the count went from 66 to 66 (0.0%), which we read as flat. The market as a whole moved +9.0%, so this flow lagged it.
| Measure | Here | Tax | London | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 37.1% | 37.9% | 29.3% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves | 12.9% | 12.6% | 9.1% | 12.7% |
| Associate share of moves | 48.4% | 48.5% | 60.4% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level | 17.7% | 15.5% | 11.5% | 12.9% |
| Changed city (three years) | 10.5% | 22.6% | 17.7% | 21.6% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 69.4% | 49.9% | 68.5% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | flat (0.0%) | rose (+23.8%) | flat (-2.5%) | 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 A dash is a value we do not publish.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 Tax practice as a whole, the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers stands out most: 69.4% here against 49.9%, above it. Set against all moves in London, the associate share stands out most: 48.4% here against 60.4%, below it. Year on year it held flat while the Tax practice as a whole rose.
Over the three years to October 2026, 204 lawyers moved in Tax in London, 70 of them partners (34.3%). They joined 83 different firms. 14.7% 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. 62.4% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Partner37.1%
- Counsel12.9%
- Associate48.4%
Partners make up 37.1% of arrivals, against 27.7% across the market: a partner-heavy flow. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 26 to 24 (-7.7%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. 17.7% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.
- 1,000+ lawyers69.4%
- 400-999 lawyers24.2%
40 firms hired at least one lateral in Tax in London in the window. Ten firms account for 46.8% of arrivals, against 12.9% across the market: concentrated. Paul Hastings ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 6-10 band.
- 1,000+ lawyers62.4%
- 400-999 lawyers27.1%
- under 150 lawyers9.9%
The practice accounts for 4.8% of all lateral moves in London. Over the three years to October 2026, 67.2% of movers came from another firm in London itself.
With volume in Tax in London holding level, a hire depends on a specific reason to move, which a firm has to put in front of the candidate.
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 | Paul Hastings | 6-10 |
| 2 | Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates | 3-5 |
| 3 | White & Case | 3-5 |
| 4 | Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson | 3-5 |
Time to partner in Tax in London
68 lawyers were promoted to partner in Tax in London 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 9.0 years and 13.0 years, against a market median of 10.0 years. 65.0% made partner within 12 years.
These figures rest on 40 promotions.
Specialities in Tax in London
Over the three years to October 2026, Corporate & M&A Tax was involved in 38.2% of moves in Tax in London, then Tax Controversy with 12.3%.
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Tax 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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