Employment Litigation: lateral monitor

Sartori & Partners data show 973 lateral moves in Employment Litigation from November 2025 to October 2026. Year on year the count held level (1,024 to 1,001 on settled windows, -2.2%). That trails the wider market, which moved +9.0%.

Over the three years to October 2026, 3,079 lawyers moved in Employment Litigation, 740 of them partners (24.0%). They joined 534 different firms. 12.7% stepped up a level on the move and 20.4% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 46.6% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

Partners account for 24.3% of movers, near the market's 27.7%. Year on year partner moves alone held level (246 to 236 on settled windows, -4.1%). A step up in title came with 13.3% of moves (market 12.9%).

Lateral hires in Employment Litigation were spread across 282 firms. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 32.6% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. First on the hiring table is Littler Mendelson, with arrivals in the 41-60 band.

By city, Los Angeles comes first (13.8% of arrivals), then New York (9.8%). 21.2% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

0.7% of moves came as part of a group, against 1.5% market-wide.

There were 597 open roles in Employment Litigation on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

For a firm planning a hire in Employment Litigation, 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 294 dated deals in Employment Litigation in the 12 months to October 2026 and 863 over the three years to October 2026.

Disputes & investigations work is involved in 98.8% of them.

By client industry, Government & Public Sector comes first with 14.4%.

Liebert Cassidy Whitmore ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 61-100 band.