Patent Litigation: lateral monitor

In the Sartori & Partners lateral record, 301 lawyers joined a new firm in Patent Litigation from November 2025 to October 2026. Year on year the count held level (314 to 308 on settled windows, -1.9%). It fell behind the market's own change of +9.0%.

Over the three years to October 2026, 883 lawyers moved in Patent Litigation, 383 of them partners (43.4%). They joined 217 different firms. 11.6% stepped up a level on the move and 17.3% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 58.6% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

Partners make up 42.9% of arrivals, against 27.7% across the market: a partner-heavy flow. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 142 to 125 (-12.0%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. A step up in title came with 9.0% of moves (market 12.9%).

120 firms hired at least one lateral in Patent Litigation in the window. Ten firms account for 26.0% of arrivals, against 12.9% across the market: moderately concentrated. First on the hiring table is Winston Taylor, with arrivals in the 11-20 band.

By city, Washington, DC comes first (17.9% of arrivals), then New York (15.3%). 15.4% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

9.3% of moves came as part of a group, against 1.5% market-wide.

There were 360 open roles in Patent Litigation on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

With volume in Patent Litigation 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 253 dated deals in Patent Litigation in the 12 months to October 2026 and 804 over the three years to October 2026.

Disputes & investigations work is involved in 97.8% of them.

By client industry, Pharma & Biotech comes first with 20.9%.

Jones Day ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 41-60 band.