Data Intelligence · reports
All reports, page 3
Every report, newest first. Each one states one finding from the edition it was written on and links to the monitor behind it.
Related monitors and reports
Reports
- Crypto Capital Markets Counsel in 2026: New York on 58.0% of Deals
Crypto deal work runs through one city: New York lawyers were on 58.0% of the sector's deals, 14.4 points above fintech. Capital markets lawyers sat on 37.7% of them, ahead of corporate and financial services regulatory lawyers.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Dallas Associate Hiring 2026: Finance-Side Practices Over-Index
Restructuring and capital markets take a larger share of Dallas lateral moves than of the market's, at indexes of 170 and 134. Associates, meanwhile, are 54.2% of moves into the city against 58.5% across the market.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Dallas Lateral Partner Market 2026: Partners Lead the City's Growth
Dallas partner hiring grew 4.8 times as fast as the market's and faster than the city's own hiring at all levels. The expansion is being led from the partner ranks.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Dallas Litigation Hires in Teams as Partner Moves Rose 90.3%
Dallas litigation hires in teams: 9.0% of its lateral moves were part of a group, against 2.0% for litigation across the practice and 5.5% for Dallas as a whole. Partner moves rose 90.3% while litigation partners across the practice held flat (+0.9%).
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Dallas M&A Laterals Skew to Partners Who Arrive Already Made
Dallas takes an ordinary share of corporate and M&A lateral moves but an outsized share of the M&A partners who move. Those partners mostly held the title before they changed firms: few Dallas M&A laterals stepped up on the way in.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - DC Intellectual Property Hiring: Top 10 Firms Take 36.4%
Intellectual property hiring in Washington runs through a short list of buyers: the top 10 took 36.4% of lateral moves, against 15.2% for the practice as a whole and 19.8% for Washington across practices.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Deal Flow vs Lateral Hiring by Practice: Where They Part in 2026
Market-wide, deals and lateral moves grew at similar rates. Inside practices they part: the projects deal count rose 26.2% while projects hiring held flat (+1.3%), and funds hiring rose 23.7% on a deal count that held flat (+2.8%).
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Deal Leaders vs Lateral Hiring Leaders 2026: Five Firms on Both Lists
Five of the ten firms with the most deals also rank among the ten busiest lateral hirers. The second-busiest deal firm hires in the 51-100 group, and three of the busiest hirers carry no top-10 deal count.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Deal Types vs Lateral Hiring 2026: Corporate Hiring Outran M&A
M&A deals rose 8.9% while corporate and M&A lateral hiring rose 15.8%. In none of the four deal types here did hiring move in step with the deal count, and in restructuring the two moved in opposite directions.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Deals Outside the Standard Types: Pharma Clients, IP Lawyers
Deals that fit no standard type are a small, steady corner of the record, and 50.2% of them had a pharma or biotech client, against 6.8% of all deals. Intellectual property and commercial contracts lawyers, not corporate lawyers, worked them.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Debt Capital Markets Lawyers: A Step-Up Market at the Largest Firms
Debt capital markets and high yield lawyers join at a higher title in 20.6% of moves, against 15.1% in capital markets and 12.9% overall, and firms of 1,000+ lawyers take 83.3% of the hires while hiring held flat (-6.0%).
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Defamation Lawyer Hiring: Associates Are the Minority
Defamation and reputation is a senior lateral market: associates made 37.3% of moves against 57.7% in litigation, partners 44.0% against 27.4%, while overall hiring held flat (-3.7%).
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Denver Associate Market 2026: Construction at 2.6 Times Its Share
Construction is involved in Denver lateral moves at 2.6 times its national share, and the city's slice of open roles on law-firm career pages runs slightly ahead of its slice of moves.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Denver Lateral Partner Market 2026: Firms of 400-999 Lawyers Hire More
Firms of 400-999 lawyers take 1.6 times their national share of Denver lateral moves, and the city draws more lawyers from other cities than it sends: 43 in, 25 out.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Denver Litigators Make Partner Later: 68.0% Within 12 Years
Litigators promoted to partner in Denver took a median 11.0 years, against 10.0 years for the city's partners, and the lateral partner hiring that could close the gap held flat at 26 against 32.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Detroit Partner Market 2026: More City-Changers Than Its Midwest Peers
Lateral movers into Detroit change city far more often than in its Midwest neighbors: 51.4% arrived from another city over 12 months, against 15.7% in Chicago and 14.3% in Cleveland. Over three years only 37.2% of hires came from another Detroit firm, and litigation runs at an index of 141 against the market.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Disputes on Record Rose in 2026. Partner Hiring Did Not Follow
Disputes and investigations grew faster than M&A and capital markets, yet the two practices that do much of the work did not add partners: litigation partner hiring held flat (+0.9%) and intellectual property held flat (+8.0%). Read the type as matters on record, heavy in intellectual property filings.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Divorce and Financial Remedies Lawyers: A Short List of Hiring Firms
Divorce and financial remedies hiring held flat (+23.4%), and it sits with a short list of firms: firms of 400-999 lawyers took 50.0% of moves, against 37.8% in family law.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Do Law Firms Hire Where They Do Deals? Capital Markets Says No
The firms that advise the most deals run much of that work through capital markets, yet hire laterals mainly into banking and finance, corporate work and private equity. At the firm second by deals, capital markets is about 70% of deals and about 20% of lateral hires.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Dubai Associate Market 2026: Finance and Building Work Over-Index
Associates are 62.0% of Dubai lateral moves, and those moves lean to finance and building work: banking and finance indexes at 186, above London, and over three years construction and projects ran at 2.0 and 3.1 times their market shares. Litigation sits below the market.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Dubai Lateral Partner Market 2026: Seniority Bought on Arrival
Dubai firms give a step up in title more often than London or the wider market, and they recruit from other cities far more often, with London first, though most hires still come from inside Dubai. The city buys seniority by promoting on arrival.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - eDiscovery Attorney Jobs: Openings on Firm Career Pages, Hiring Flat
167 eDiscovery openings sat on law-firm career pages on one day in November 2026, and the lawyers who actually moved were mostly associates and counsel. Hiring held flat (+6.6%), while litigation as a whole rose 7.5%.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Education Lawyers Move to Firms of 150-399 Lawyers: Where to Hire
Firms of 150-399 lawyers took 38.0% of education-focused lateral moves, 2.9 times the market's share. These are litigators, employment and public law lawyers, with more counsel than the market: a school district, college or university hiring in-house should recruit from firms of that size.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Employee Benefits Lateral Hiring 2026: Recruited From Employment
Firms find benefits lawyers inside employment and tax groups: 42.5% of benefits moves also carried employment and labor work, against 10.7% of all moves. Benefits lateral moves rose 16.6%, while partner hiring held flat (+6.9%).
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Employment Lateral Hiring in 2026: A West Coast Market, Few Partners
Employment lateral hiring leans west and light on partners: Los Angeles indexes at 218 and Seattle at 217 while New York sits at 68, and partners make up 22.4% of moves against 27.7% across all practices.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Employment Law in 28.6% of Portland Moves Over 3 Years, Above Seattle
Employment law runs through 28.6% of Portland lateral moves over 3 years, 2.6 times its market share and above Seattle and Denver. Counsel take a far larger slice of hiring than elsewhere, and volume is flat.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Employment Law Partner Track by City 2026: Dallas Fast, Boston Slow
Employment lawyers in Dallas made partner within 12 years 92.0% of the time, against 58.1% in Boston, and in Los Angeles, the largest employment bench, only 9.5% made it within 8 years: the practice's slow clock is a coastal one.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Employment Law Path to Partner 2026: More Home-Grown, Slower
Employment and labor fills nearly as many partner seats by promotion as by lateral hire, more than the other large practices, and its associates wait longer for the title: a mean of 11.6 years against 11.1 years.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Employment Lawyers in London Move Toward Firms of 400-999 Lawyers
London employment laterals move toward firms of 400-999 lawyers: they took 47.5% of three-year hires after supplying 23.1%, while firms under 150 lawyers supplied 17.9% and received 3.8%. Partners are a thin 15.3% of moves, against 29.3% for London.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Employment Litigation Partners: Closest to Home-Grown in the Market
Employment litigation firms named 263 partners by promotion in the 12 months to May 2026 and hired 236 lateral partners in the 12 months to October 2026. At practice level the ratio is 0.95 promotions per lateral partner, against 0.79 market-wide.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Employment Matters in 2026: 93.9% Disputes, Public Employers First
The public record of employment work is a disputes record: 93.9% of matters are contested, with government employers (10.7%) and healthcare providers (8.4%) as the largest client sectors. The matter count held flat (-1.2%) while lateral hiring into the practice rose 6.9%.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Entertainment Lawyers Stay Local: Only 8.6% Switch Cities
Media and entertainment lawyers rarely leave their city when they change firms, and Los Angeles draws them at an index of 463 against the market. For a company hiring in-house, the bench is the one already in town, and its partner moves rose 65.0% year on year.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Environment Lawyers Go In-House; Firms Chase Projects Partners
Environment lawyers move to companies at 1.6 times the all-practice rate, and law firms are not bidding up their partners. Projects lawyers also go in-house readily, but firms hired projects partners at a faster pace: partner hiring in the practice held flat (+16.5%).
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Environmental Compliance and Permitting: A Counsel-Heavy Market
Counsel took 27.3% of environmental compliance and permitting moves, against 19.5% in the environment practice and 12.7% across the market. Partner hiring fell 42.0%. Hiring at all levels held flat (-15.0%).
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Environmental Law Path to Partner 2026: The In-House Exit
Environmental lawyers reach partner late at the end of the track and leave for companies more often than the market: 70.6% of new partners got there within 12 years against 75.4%, and companies hired 21 per hundred lateral moves against 13.1. Firms promote 0.71 partners per lateral partner hire.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Environmental Lawyer Lateral Moves 2026: A Market for the Next Title
Environmental lawyers change firms to step up. In 12 months 16.8% of movers took a higher title against 12.9% market-wide, counsel were 19.5% of moves against 12.7%, and San Francisco hires at an index of 205.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Environmental Litigators: A Bench Trained in Small Firms
Over three years, 20.1% of environmental litigators who changed firms left firms under 150 lawyers, against 12.0% in the environment practice and 11.4% market-wide. Firms of 1,000+ lawyers took only 33.9% of 12-month hires, and hiring held flat (-2.4%).
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Equity Incentive Plan Lawyers Cross Cities to Move in 2026
Equity incentive plan lawyers changed city in 23.4% of lateral moves over 12 months, against 17.3% in the benefits practice and 20.5% across the market. Over three years the share was 22.5%, still above the practice at 19.6%.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Estate Planning Lateral Hiring 2026: Partners Lead the Hiring
Estate planning partner hiring rose 35.6% on settled 12-month windows while hiring at every level held flat (+10.3%). The partners are going to firms of 400-999 lawyers, which took 39.6% of moves against 23.4% market-wide.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Executive Compensation Lawyer Jobs: Openings Outnumber Movers
Executive compensation openings stood at 248 on one day, against 120 lateral moves in the speciality over 12 months. Hiring held flat (+3.4%) while the benefits practice rose 16.6%, and the movers lean to New York, at an index of 198 against the market.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Export Controls and Sanctions: The Core of Trade Hiring
Sanctions and export controls lawyers made 69.8% of the trade practice's lateral moves. Washington, DC took 50.0% of them, and partner hiring rose 64.0% while hiring at all levels held flat (+29.2%).
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - False Claims Act Lawyers: Washington Hires Most as Hiring Holds Flat
Fraud and False Claims Act hiring centers on Washington, DC: 24.0% of moves, an index of 428 against the market and above white collar's 351. Only 12.0% of movers changed city, and hiring held flat (+21.3%).
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Fastest Legal Specialities to Make Partner: The Deal-Side Track
The quickest route to partnership runs through deal work. Growth and minority investment lawyers were named within 8 years 37.4% of the time against 23.2% market-wide, and buyouts and private M&A share a median of 9.0 years.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Fastest-Growing Law Firms 2026: Five Also Top Net Partner Gains
Of the ten firms with the largest net lateral gain at all levels, five also rank in the top 10 by net partner gain. Three of the other five grew mainly through associates, who made up 70% of hires at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe against 58.5% market-wide.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Few Lawyers Specialize in Manufacturing: Recruit From the Deal Bench
Lawyers who carry manufacturing as their focus rarely change firms, and the ones who do are mostly partner-level trial lawyers. A manufacturer hiring for deal work should recruit from corporate and capital markets lawyers in the cities where the sector's deal work is done, New York first, and from the wider flow of lawyers moving in-house.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Few Private Equity Lawyers Go In-House as Firms Bid for Partners
From May to October 2026, private equity lawyers left firms for companies at 11.4 per hundred lateral moves, against 13.1 overall and 20.1 in corporate work. Lateral hiring of private equity partners rose 16.1% and sponsor deals rose 8.9%: a sponsor or portfolio company hiring a deal lawyer competes with firms paying for the same people.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Finance Lawyers Moving In-House: Capital Markets Most, Insurance Least
Banking and finance sent 125 lawyers from firms to companies, 13.1% of all such moves. Capital markets lawyers go in-house most readily, restructuring and insurance lawyers least, and funds lawyers face firms whose hiring rose 23.7%.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Financial Services Regulatory Deals 2026: Work and Hiring Both Rose
Financial services regulatory matters rose 37.3%, 3.5 times the pace of all dated deals, and lateral partner hiring into the practice rose 40.2%. Banks still anchor the work, but digital assets clients now sit in 16.0% of it.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Financial Services Regulatory Hiring in 2026: A Partner-Led Rise
Financial services regulatory hiring is turning into a partner market. Partner moves rose 40.2%, from 82 to 115, while the market's partner moves rose 8.4%; partners were 47.9% of the practice's moves, against 27.7% market-wide.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Financial Services Regulatory Path to Partner: Few Made Early
Early partnership is rare in financial services regulatory: 10.2% of its partners were promoted within 8 years, against 23.2% across all practices. Within 12 years the share reaches 72.1%, and firms buy more of these partners than they make.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Fintech Capital Raising Counsel in 2026: Venture at 4.4 Times the Norm
Fintech companies raise money privately as well as publicly: venture and growth deals are 16.6% of the sector's deals, 4.4 times their share of all dated deals. Capital markets lawyers sit on 23.7% of fintech deals, second only to corporate lawyers.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Fintech M&A Counsel in 2026: Corporate Lawyers on 45.4% of Deals
Corporate and M&A lawyers sat on 45.4% of fintech and payments deals in the 12 months to October 2026, 1.9 times the 23.3% they reached across all dated deals. M&A was the sector's largest deal type, at 29.4%.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Fintech's Lawyer Bench Is Regulatory: 60.6% Do Financial Regulation
Of the lawyers with a fintech focus who changed firms, 60.6% carry financial services regulatory work, an index of 3,649 against the market. Partners are 58.3% of them and 70.1% joined firms of 1,000+ lawyers, while the count of moves held flat: a fintech company hiring in-house pays large-firm rates for regulatory depth.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Food and Agriculture Companies Buy Litigation First: IP Leads
Disputes and investigations are the largest deal type for food, beverage and agriculture companies, at 38.7% of the sector's deals against 25.0% across all sectors, and intellectual property lawyers work on 29.5% of the sector's deals. Deal flow held flat while the wider market grew, so the panel question is trial and IP depth, not deal capacity.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Food and Beverage IP Work in 2026: The Sector Held, IP Matters Rose
Food, beverage and agriculture deals held flat (-1.5%) year on year, while intellectual property matters on record rose 20.9%. IP lawyers sit on 29.5% of the sector's deals, so food companies draw on a practice whose caseload grew in a year their own sector stood still.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Food Industry Lawyers Sit in Mid-Size Firms: Look Past the Giants
Among food, beverage and agriculture lawyers who changed firms, mid-size firms took a larger share than the giants did, unlike the market. Only 43 firms hired the profile in 12 months and 24.0% of movers changed city: a food company should search well beyond the largest names.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - For Sponsors, Private Equity Is 26.6% of Deals, Disputes Just 1.8%
Sponsors buy private equity, fund formation and acquisition finance work at many times the market's rate, and almost no capital markets or disputes work. One firm sits a full band above every other adviser.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Foreign Investment Review Lawyers: Index 1,015 in Washington
Washington, DC took 56.9% of foreign investment review lateral moves, an index of 1,015 against the market and above the trade practice's 876. Hiring held flat (+14.0%) year on year, so every hire comes out of the same small Washington pool.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Frankfurt Associate Market 2026: A Closed Circle of Large Firms
Frankfurt associates move inside one circle of large firms: over three years 78.6% of arrivals left a firm of 1,000+ lawyers and 78.3% joined one, against 56.6% and 52.5% across the market. Fewer movers gain a title on the way: 8.9%, against 12.9%.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026 - Frankfurt Partner Market 2026: A Deal City With Few Partner Moves
Frankfurt hires for deals: private equity and corporate work over-index well beyond London, and corporate touched 34.0% of moves over three years. Partners are a thinner slice than in the market, and the largest firms take most of the hiring.
November 11, 2026 · November 2026
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].
For law firm leaders
Planning a partner hire in this market?
We run retained partner searches using the same data behind this page.