Public Law & Government · speciality monitor
Government Contracts & Procurement: lateral monitor
Lawyers whose work centers on Government Contracts & Procurement and who changed firm over the last 12 months, set against the Public Law & Government practice and the market.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 103
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- +6.7%
- Year on yearSettled 12-month windows
- 35.9%
- Partner share of moves
- 64
- Firms that hired
What the data show
In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 103 lawyers joined a new firm in Government Contracts & Procurement from November 2025 to October 2026. On settled windows the count went from 104 to 111 (+6.7%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.
| Measure | Here | Public Law & Government | Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 35.9% | 34.1% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves | 15.5% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| Associate share of moves | 48.5% | 48.0% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level | 11.7% | 13.2% | 12.9% |
| Changed city | 24.1% | 22.8% | 20.5% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 44.7% | 38.5% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | flat (+6.7%) | flat (-4.9%) | rose (+9.0%) |
12 months to October 2026 unless the row says three years; a row switches to three years for every column when this page's 12-month value is not published. A dash is a value we do not publish. Flat means a change under 5% or inside the noise of the two counts.
Against the Public Law & Government practice as a whole, the widest gap is the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers, which is higher here: 44.7% against 38.5%. Year on year it moved with the Public Law & Government practice as a whole: both flat.
Over the three years to October 2026, 301 lawyers moved in Government Contracts & Procurement, 114 of them partners (37.9%). They joined 145 different firms. 13.0% stepped up a level on the move and 24.1% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 48.6% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Partner35.9%
- Counsel15.5%
- Associate48.5%
At 35.9%, the partner share of arrivals sits above the market's 27.7%. Year on year partner moves alone held level (42 to 42 on settled windows, 0.0%). A step up in title came with 11.7% of moves (market 12.9%).
- 1,000+ lawyers44.7%
- 400-999 lawyers35.9%
- 150-399 lawyers14.6%
- under 150 lawyers4.9%
The 12-month firm table is below our naming threshold, so this part reads the three years to October 2026. Lateral hires in Government Contracts & Procurement were spread across 145 firms. Ten firms account for 22.8% of arrivals, against 12.2% across the market: moderately concentrated. First on the hiring table is DLA Piper, with arrivals in the 11-20 band.
- 1,000+ lawyers48.6%
- 400-999 lawyers27.7%
- 150-399 lawyers12.7%
- under 150 lawyers10.9%
Washington, DC ranks first among destination cities with 36.9% of arrivals. A change of city came with 24.1% of moves (market 20.5%).
There were 61 open roles in Government Contracts & Procurement on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.
With volume in Government Contracts & Procurement holding level, a hire depends on a specific reason to move, which a firm has to put in front of the candidate.
Firms by rank and band
Each firm appears as a rank and a band, never an exact count, and only with at least 10 moves in the window.
| Rank | Firm | Moves (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DLA Piper | 11-20 |
| 2 | Dentons | 6-10 |
| 3 | Bird & Bird | 6-10 |
| 4 | Holland & Knight | 6-10 |
| 5 | Burr & Forman | 6-10 |
| 6 | CMS | 6-10 |
| 7 | Eversheds Sutherland | 3-5 |
| 8 | Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe | 3-5 |
| 9 | Greenberg Traurig | 3-5 |
| 10 | Fox Rothschild | 3-5 |
| Rank | Firm | Moves (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burr & Forman | 6-10 |
| 2 | Fox Rothschild | 3-5 |
| 3 | DLA Piper | 3-5 |
| 4 | Holland & Knight | 3-5 |
| 5 | Dentons | 3-5 |
| 6 | Taft Stettinius & Hollister | 3-5 |
| 7 | Williams, Mullen | 3-5 |
| 8 | Greenberg Traurig | 3-5 |
Deals in Government Contracts & Procurement
Sartori & Partners data count 87 dated deals in Government Contracts & Procurement in the 12 months to October 2026 and 243 over the three years to October 2026.
Disputes & investigations work is involved in 32.1% of them and M&A in 23.5%.
By client industry, Government & Public Sector comes first with 25.5%.
Morrison & Foerster ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 41-60 band.
| Rank | Firm | Deals (band) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morrison & Foerster | 41-60 |
| 2 | Bradley Arant Boult Cummings | 11-20 |
| 3 | Bass, Berry & Sims | 11-20 |
| 4 | DWF | 6-10 |
| 5 | Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod | 6-10 |
| 6 | Heuking | 6-10 |
| 7 | CMS | 6-10 |
| 8 | GvW Graf von Westphalen | 3-5 |
| 9 | GÖRG | 3-5 |
| 10 | Wiley | 3-5 |
Time to partner in Government Contracts & Procurement
20 lawyers were promoted to partner in Government Contracts & Procurement in the 12 months to May 2026, 171 over five years, according to Sartori & Partners data.
The median time from first year of practice to partner is 11.0 years, with the middle half between 9.0 years and 13.0 years, against a market median of 10.0 years. 72.5% made partner within 12 years.
These figures rest on 109 promotions.
Related monitors and reports
Other specialities in Public Law & Government
Hiring in this market
Reports
- Government Contracts Lawyers: Disputes, Deals and Washington
Sartori & Partners data show government contracts lawyers working on M&A as well as disputes, for public bodies and aerospace and defense companies first, while hiring held flat (+6.7%) and sits in Washington, DC at an index of 658.
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].
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