This is the latest update on lateral partner and counsel moves in the Washington, D.C. area. The data included in these reports are primarily derived from Firm Prospects LLC. For more details and analysis, including a list of laterals for the month, please contact Steve Nelson.
Lateral hiring decreased in December, as 39 partner and counsel moves were reported, down from 46 in November. That number is also lower than the 44 moves reported in December 2024. Nevertheless, lateral hiring has increased by more than 19 percent during 2025.
Hiring from the government remained steady, with nine attorneys entering private practice.
Like last month, only one group move was reported in December, a two-lawyer Litigation group that left the now-defunct McGlinchey Stafford for Hinshaw & Culbertson.
Only three other firms reporting multiple hires in December:
- Akerman
- Spencer Fane
- Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Eleven of movers (28.2 percent) were women. Of those, only 2 (18.2 percent) joined their new firms as partners. That compared to 19 of the 28 men (67.9 percent) who were selected partners at their new firms.
Litigation was the most active practice area represented, with 8 moves. Other active practice areas included:
- International Trade (4)
- Investment Management (4)
- Energy (3)
- Government Relations (3)
- Antitrust (2)
- Intellectual Property (2)
- Telecom (2)
The McCormick Group organizes and chairs a Lateral Partner Recruiting Roundtable, which includes a discussion of key topics related to partner recruiting. The Zoom meetings are limited to law firm recruiting officials. Among the topics discussed have included:
- Efforts to have law firms adopt a uniform Lateral Partner Questionnaire
- The use of artificial intelligence tools in the recruiting process
- Controversial provisions in Law Firm Recruiting Agreements
- Best practices in Onboarding and Integration
The next meeting of the Roundtable is scheduled for January 29, 2026 at 1pm ET and will feature a discussion of how firms can forecast future success of laterals. If you are a law firm representative, and would like more information, please contact Steve Nelson at snelson@tmg-dc.com.
