Reuters PracIN (August 3) published the most empirically detailed lateral integration framework available this week, with direct economic implications. Key economics: investment cost per lateral is rising materially; 30–40% of laterals leave within five years; a larger share never reach their projected revenue numbers; the authors' working estimate is that approximately 40% of laterals succeed at
Sidley Austin moved within weeks of the Hogan Lovells/Cadwalader combination to recruit an 11-lawyer New York funds team from the newly merged firm (Above the Law, August 4). The speed of the move — "barely a month" after the official merger — is the economically significant element: merger disruption periods have historically been the highest-yield targeting windows for lateral recruitment, and t
Pirical's Q2 2026 lateral partner ranking (August 3) reveals the market tightening into an internal ecosystem: 75% of partner hires made by Am Law 200 firms in Q2 came from within the Am Law 200 itself — up from 60% in Q1. Litigation dominated with 286 partners hired (more than Corporate + Real Estate combined), followed by Corporate (172), Real Estate (83), and Banking & Finance (81). Geography:
In the week's most consequential lateral move, Gibson Dunn announced on July 28 the hire of six litigation partners from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz: William Savitt (who co-chaired Wachtell's executive committee and litigation department), Sarah Eddy, Randall Jackson, Ryan McLeod, Anitha Reddy, and Brad Wilson. Savitt will co-chair Gibson Dunn's litigation practice. Above the Law noted that Wac
Firm Prospects data (reported via LinkedIn, July 23) shows total lateral hires at the 200 largest US law firms fell 15.1% in Q2 2026 (3,205) compared to Q1 2026 (3,776) and down 4.5% from Q2 2025 (3,356). The composition matters: partner hiring remained relatively steady while associate and counsel moves declined. The Q2 slowdown after a strong Q1 reflects normal seasonal patterns — Q1 is typicall
NALP data shows overall lateral hiring up 16.4% in 2025, with partner laterals up 17.8% and associate laterals up 17.1%. Am Law 200 firms hired 4,152 lateral partners in the 12 months ending September 2025. Linklaters poached a pair from Paul Weiss (July 22), while Clifford Chance lost its two US Insurance co-heads — Dennis Manfredi and Joseph Cosentino — to Simpson Thacher. A&O Shearman reported
Taylor Wessing and Winston & Strawn completed their merger in summer 2026 under the brand "Winston Taylor," creating one of the largest transatlantic players in the market with combined revenues in excess of £1.3 billion across 20 offices. Taylor Wessing brought €619 million (£526 million) in revenue at 10% growth and PEP of £1.1 million; Winston & Strawn brought $1.369 billion (£1.02 billion) in
Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed HB26-1421 — the Colorado Legal Practice Integrity and Fee-sharing Prohibition Act — on June 4, 2026. Effective August 12, 2026 (sunset September 1, 2029), the Act broadly prohibits alternative business structures and restricts MSO compensation to flat fees or hourly payments not tied to profits, recoveries, or settlements, with language specifically targeting p
Fairfax Associates' Q2 2026 merger report counted seven completed law firm mergers in the quarter, bringing the first-half total to 43 — nearly matching the same period in 2025. Beyond the marquee Ashurst Perkins Coie and Winston Taylor combinations, the report flags a notable alternative-business-structure transaction: enterprise software platform Carta's acquisition of London-based Avantia Law t
Ashurst and Perkins Coie finalized their merger effective June 29, forming Ashurst Perkins Coie, a firm spanning 52 offices in 20 countries with over 950 partners and 3,500 client-facing practitioners. The combination is one of several large cross-border deals — alongside Winston Taylor and the imminent Hogan Lovells Cadwalader tie-up — that closed or are closing around mid-2026, reflecting what C
Baker McKenzie completed its 2026 partner promotions this week, promoting 47 lawyers globally with a further 30 in the international round effective 1 July — plus 44 lateral partner hires during the financial year, bringing total new partner additions to 91. The London round was notably leaner (2 promotions, down from 7 last year), with transactional practice accounting for the largest share globa
Source: GlobalLegalPost: Baker McKenzie completes 2026 partner promotions with 30-strong international roundLaw Firm EconomicsTalentMarket Moves
Ashurst reported partner profits per equity partner (PEP) rising to £1.59 million — a significant jump — as the firm prepares for its anticipated merger with U.S. firm Perkins Coie. The results reflect both strong underlying financial performance and likely pre-merger positioning. Transatlantic mergers have intensified in 2026 as firms seek scale to compete on global mandates and to fund AI infras
Source: Legal Cheek: Ashurst sees partner profits jump to £1.59 million ahead of Perkins Coie mergerM&ALaw Firm EconomicsMarket Moves