San Diego: promotions and time to partner

Sartori & Partners data record 22 partner promotions in San Diego from June 2025 to May 2026. Promotions are confirmed about five months late, so this window ends earlier than the lateral figures. Over the same 12 months that is 0.58 promotions for every lateral partner hired, against 0.79 across the market: more of the partner bench here is bought than made.

Across five years of promotions, the median time from first year of practice to partner is 11.0 years, with the middle half between 9.0 years and 14.5 years. The market median is 10.0 years, so the track here runs longer. The median rests on 103 promotions.

On settled windows lateral partner moves in San Diego went from 29 to 36 (+24.1%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Firms in San Diego buy partners more often than the market does; a lateral partner hire here competes with that habit.