LegalVIEW shows rate pressure concentrated in health care, IP and Am Law 26–50 firms
Inside Practice · OCTOBER 27, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
On October 23, 2026, Wolters Kluwer released LegalVIEW Insights 2026 Q4, reporting year-to-date partner-rate increases of 10.0% in health care, 13.9% in intellectual property and 9.1% at Am Law 26–50 firms. Based on more than $230 billion in invoice data, the report also found that partners performed 30.4% of hours at Am Law 1–25 firms versus 48.2% at Am Law 151–200 firms, while vague descriptions represented 38% of non-compliant lines at Am Law 1–25 firms. For client teams, the commercial discussion should therefore move beyond headline rate changes to staffing leverage, matter allocation and invoice quality. Proposals and reviews that show the planned work mix and compliance controls can defend value more credibly than discounts alone.