Both halves of the top 100 hired 8% more lateral Partners in 2024 than 2023, whereas second hundred firms increased lateral hires by 3%.

Kirkland & Ellis made the most lateral Partner hires (134) but also had the most Partner exits (47). Firms such as Paul Hastings, Baker McKenzie and Polsinelli grew aggressively by making large group lateral hires.

Polsinelli's poaching of 47 lawyers (30 Partners) from Holland & Knight was the largest group move of the year.

"Firms tend to covet group lateral hires because there’s a higher likelihood of success, a group move often means stickier client relationships and more confidence that the assembled team will deliver. Secondly, large group moves make more noise in the press and show that the firm is growing, which is good for the brand!"

Gary Miles | Miles Partner Placement

"Ultimately, every law firm segment walked away from 2024 with something to brag about in terms of demand growth, although some had weightier hauls than others." Thomson Reuters, 2025 Report on the State of the US Legal Market

AM Law 1-50

The top 50 firms primarily increased lateral Partner hiring across Banking & Finance (+43%) and Corporate - Investment Funds (+36%) practices, where there were corresponding decreases in hiring activity among lower ranked firms. Real Estate (-34%) and Litigation (-7%) saw the highest drops in lateral moves to AM Law 1-50 firms.

AM Law 51-100

The second half of the top 100 saw major increases in Partner hires across Tax (+114%) and Litigation - Crime, Fraud & Investigations (+61%), while the sharpest declines were in Corporate - Investment Funds (-41%) and Banking & Finance (-27%).

AM Law 101-200

Second hundred firms increased lateral Partner hiring across Tax (+48%) and Real Estate (+37%), where the -34% decrease among AM Law 1-50 firms may have created an opportunity.

The firm's significant rise in Partner headcount (+42%) is partly down to the adoption of a non-equity Partnership tier in 2024. The firm was also very active in the lateral market.

In 2024, A&O Shearman completed its combination and Herbert Smith Freehills announced plans to merge with Kramer Levin. More trans-atlantic combinations are likely to continue, as British firms seek to cement their position in the US market and keep up with other UK rivals.

Riyadh (+132%) had the sharpest growth in Partner numbers while Hong Kong had the largest decline (-18%). Back in 2023, Nashville was the city with the highest increase in AM Law 100 Partner headcount (+175%), but growth slowed to just +3% in 2024.

The increased demand for hiring Finance and Corporate Partners is reflected across many of the highest growth practices from 2024. In terms of location, London and New York City feature heavily in the top 30.

Written using publicly-available data from Pirical Legal Professionals (PLP)

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