Trade Secrets: lateral monitor

From November 2025 to October 2026, Sartori & Partners recorded 249 lateral moves in Trade Secrets. On settled windows the count went from 239 to 255 (+6.7%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat.

Over the three years to October 2026, 715 lawyers moved in Trade Secrets, 364 of them partners (50.9%). They joined 240 different firms. 13.4% stepped up a level on the move and 15.5% changed city, against 12.3% and 21.6% across the market over the same three years. 55.2% came from firms with 1,000+ lawyers.

Partners make up 51.4% of arrivals, against 27.7% across the market: a partner-heavy flow. On settled windows partner moves alone went from 121 to 130 (+7.4%), a change inside the noise of the two counts, so we read it as flat. A step up in title came with 11.2% of moves (market 12.9%).

Lateral hires in Trade Secrets were spread across 125 firms. The ten firms at the head of the hiring table took 25.3% of arrivals (12.9% market-wide), so hiring here is moderately concentrated. Morrison & Foerster ranks first by lateral arrivals, in the 11-20 band.

New York ranks first among destination cities with 14.5% of arrivals, followed by San Francisco (13.7%). A change of city came with 13.4% of moves (market 20.5%).

6.4% of moves came as part of a group, against 1.5% market-wide.

There were 51 open roles in Trade Secrets on law-firm career pages on November 11, 2026.

For a firm planning a hire in Trade Secrets, 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 65 dated deals in Trade Secrets in the 12 months to October 2026 and 161 over the three years to October 2026.

Disputes & investigations work is involved in 100.0% of them.

By client industry, Technology & Software comes first with 21.7%.

Jones Day ranks first among advising firms over the period, in the 6-10 band.