Public M&A: lateral monitor

From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 252 lateral moves in Public M&A. On settled windows the count went from 268 to 247 (-7.8%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 728 lawyers moved in Public M&A, 328 of them partners (45.1%). They joined 159 different firms. 15.1% stepped up a level on the move and 19.7% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 75.0% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

This is a partner market: 48.8% of movers were partners, against 27.7% market-wide. On settled 12-month windows partner moves alone showed no clear change: 118 against 116 (+1.7%). A step up in title came with 14.3% of moves (market 12.9%).

Lateral hires in Public M&A were spread across 91 firms. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 38.6% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is concentrated. First on the hiring table is Latham & Watkins, with arrivals in the 11-20 band.

By city, New York comes first (20.2% of arrivals), then London (17.1%). 15.7% of movers also changed city, against 20.5% market-wide.

There were 189 open roles in Public M&A on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

With volume in Public M&A 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 1,804 dated deals in Public M&A in the 12 months to October 2026 and 5,065 over the three years to October 2026.

M&A work is involved in 94.5% of them and Private equity in 3.1%.

By client industry, Banks & Financial Institutions comes first with 9.2%.

Latham & Watkins ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 401-700 band.