Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation · speciality monitor
Health & Welfare Plans: lateral monitor
Lawyers whose work centers on Health & Welfare Plans and who changed firm over the last 12 months, set against the Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation practice and the market.
The last 12 months: November 2025 to October 2026
- 45
- Lateral moves, 12 monthsNovember 2025 to October 2026
- +67.9%
- Year on yearSettled 12-month windows
- 40.0%
- Partner share of moves
- 33
- Firms that hired
What the data show
Sartori & Partners data show 45 lateral moves in Health & Welfare Plans from November 2025 to October 2026. Measured on settled 12-month windows, 47 moves against 28 the year before, the count rose 67.9%. That runs ahead of the wider market, which moved +9.0%.
| Measure | Here | Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation | Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner share of moves | 40.0% | 30.2% | 27.7% |
| Counsel share of moves | 15.6% | 19.8% | 12.7% |
| Associate share of moves | 44.4% | 48.8% | 58.5% |
| Moved up a level | 11.1% | 17.5% | 12.9% |
| Changed city | 29.0% | 17.3% | 20.5% |
| Hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers | 46.7% | 61.9% | 53.6% |
| Year on year | rose (+67.9%) | rose (+16.6%) | 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 A dash is a value we do not publish.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.
Set against the Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation practice as a whole, the share hired by firms of 1,000+ lawyers stands out most: 46.7% here against 61.9%, below it. Year on year it moved with the Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation practice as a whole: both rose.
Over the three years to October 2026, 117 lawyers moved in Health & Welfare Plans, 47 of them partners (40.2%). They joined 84 different firms. 12.8% stepped up a level on the move and 32.5% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 54.1% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.
- Partner40.0%
- Counsel15.6%
- Associate44.4%
This is a partner market: 40.0% of movers were partners, against 27.7% market-wide. 11.1% of movers stepped up a level when they changed firm, against 12.9% for the market.
- 1,000+ lawyers46.7%
- 400-999 lawyers20.0%
- 150-399 lawyers24.4%
33 firms hired at least one lateral in Health & Welfare Plans in the window. Firms in the 1,000+ lawyers class took 46.7% of arrivals, against 53.6% across the market.
- 1,000+ lawyers54.1%
- 400-999 lawyers23.5%
- 150-399 lawyers18.4%
A change of city came with 29.0% of moves (market 20.5%).
There were 95 open roles in Health & Welfare Plans on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.
A firm recruiting in Health & Welfare Plans is buying into a rising, partner-heavy flow, so the strongest candidates will hear from more than one firm.
Time to partner in Health & Welfare Plans
48 lawyers were promoted to partner in Health & Welfare Plans 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 14.0 years, against a market median of 10.0 years. 68.9% made partner within 12 years.
These figures rest on 45 promotions.
Related monitors and reports
Other specialities in Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation
Hiring in this market
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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