Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation: promotions and time to partner

From June 2025 to May 2026, 37 lawyers were promoted to partner in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation, 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 0.50 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 14.0 years. The market median is 10.0 years, so the track here runs longer. The median rests on 165 promotions.

On settled windows lateral partner moves in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation went from 72 to 77 (+6.9%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Firms in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation buy partners more often than the market does; a lateral partner hire here competes with that habit.