Criminal Defence: lateral monitor

In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 153 lawyers joined a new firm in Criminal Defence from November 2025 to October 2026. On settled windows the count went from 178 to 151 (-15.2%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 540 lawyers moved in Criminal Defence, 271 of them partners (50.2%). They joined 211 different firms. 16.1% stepped up a level on the move and 19.0% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 56.9% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

This is a partner market: 51.0% of movers were partners, against 27.7% market-wide. Year on year, on windows that end a month early, partner moves alone eased 24.0% (96 to 73). 14.4% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.

The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. Lateral hires in Criminal Defence were spread across 211 firms. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 17.6% of arrivals (12.2% market-wide), so hiring here is moderately concentrated. First on the hiring table is Paul Hastings, with arrivals in the 11-20 band.

By city, New York comes first (22.2% of arrivals), then Washington, DC (17.6%). A change of city came with 13.8% of moves (market 20.5%).

There were 31 open roles in Criminal Defence on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

For a firm planning a hire in Criminal Defence, a flat market means candidates are not being pulled by a wave: the case for a move has to come from the platform.

Sartori & Partners data count 110 dated deals in Criminal Defence in the 12 months to October 2026 and 302 over the three years to October 2026.

Disputes & investigations work is involved in 96.4% of them.

By client industry, Individuals & Consumers comes first with 38.4%.

Jones Day ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 21-40 band.