Commercial Contracts: promotions and time to partner

From June 2025 to May 2026, 40 lawyers were promoted to partner in Commercial Contracts, 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 1.18 promotions for every lateral partner hired, against 0.79 across the market: more of the partner bench here is made than bought.

Across five years of promotions, the median time from first year of practice to partner is 10.0 years, with the middle half between 8.0 years and 12.0 years. The market median is also 10.0 years. The median rests on 139 promotions.

Year on year lateral partner moves in Commercial Contracts held level (38 to 39 on settled windows, +2.6%).

For a firm planning succession in Commercial Contracts, peers grow more of their own partners than the market does: a lateral hire has to bring what the internal track cannot.