Q1 2026 Lateral Volume Hits Six-Year High; BigLaw Shifts Partner Pay Structures
Macrae data shows the 200 largest U.S. firms added 3,521 lateral attorneys in Q1 2026, including 979 partner lateral moves — a 9.4% year-over-year increase and the highest quarterly partner volume in six years. Simultaneously, compensation structures are shifting: Debevoise & Plimpton announced a new discretionary bonus pool giving leadership more flexibility to reward high performers while enabli
BY FRONTIER DESK · JUNE 29, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
Macrae data shows the 200 largest U.S. firms added 3,521 lateral attorneys in Q1 2026, including 979 partner lateral moves — a 9.4% year-over-year increase and the highest quarterly partner volume in six years. Simultaneously, compensation structures are shifting: Debevoise & Plimpton announced a new discretionary bonus pool giving leadership more flexibility to reward high performers while enabling performance-based cuts. Milbank's associate pay scale raise (ranging $235K–$455K) has been matched or exceeded by multiple firms. The combination of record lateral volume and restructuring compensation signals that firms are competing intensely for portable revenue while also trying to tighten the link between partner economics and productivity.