Sydney: promotions and time to partner

From June 2025 to May 2026, 33 lawyers were promoted to partner in Sydney, according to Sartori & Partners data. Promotions are confirmed about five months late, so this window ends earlier than the lateral figures. Over the same 12 months that is 1.06 promotions for every lateral partner hired, against 0.79 across the market: more of the partner bench here is made than bought.

On settled windows lateral partner moves in Sydney went from 40 to 38 (-5.0%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Firms in Sydney lean on internal promotion; a lateral partner here is an exception to plan and justify.