Acquisition & Leveraged Finance: lateral monitor

From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 348 lateral moves in Acquisition & Leveraged Finance. On settled 12-month windows the count showed no clear change: 369 against 381 (-3.1%). That trails the wider market, which moved +9.0%.

Over the three years to October 2026, 1,095 lawyers moved in Acquisition & Leveraged Finance, 357 of them partners (32.6%). They joined 210 different firms. 12.5% stepped up a level on the move and 20.0% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 72.3% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

At 32.8%, the partner share of arrivals sits above the market's 27.7%. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 122 to 111 (-9.0%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. 13.5% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

Lateral hires in Acquisition & Leveraged Finance were spread across 116 firms. Ten firms account for 30.7% of arrivals, against 12.9% across the market: concentrated. Latham & Watkins ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 11-20 band.

London ranks first among destination cities with 23.3% of arrivals, followed by New York (22.4%). 19.5% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

There were 373 open roles in Acquisition & Leveraged Finance on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

With volume in Acquisition & Leveraged Finance holding level, a hire depends on a specific reason to move, which a firm has to put in front of the candidate.

Sartori & Partners data count 689 dated deals in Acquisition & Leveraged Finance in the 12 months to October 2026 and 1,810 over the three years to October 2026.

Leveraged & acquisition finance work is involved in 79.7% of them and Banking & lending in 7.3%.

By client industry, Banks & Financial Institutions comes first with 18.5%.

Latham & Watkins ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 151-250 band.