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 October, as 62 partner and counsel moves were reported, down from 92 in September. However, the 62 moves were higher than the 55 reported in October 2024. Overall, lateral hiring has increased by more than 22 percent during 2025.
There was also a sharp dip in moves coming from Government, with nine attorneys entering private practice, compared to 32 in September.
Only one group move was reported in October, a two-lawyer Leveraged Finance and Private Credit group that left Hogan Lovells to join Mayer Brown.
Other firms reporting multiple hires included:
- Akin, Gump
- Barnes & Thornburg
- Covington & Burling
- Grossberg, Yochelson Fox & Beyda
- King & Spalding
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Polsinelli
- Proskauer Rose
Twenty of the movers (43.5 percent) were women. Of those, 11 (55 percent) joined their new firms as partners. That compared to 19 of the 26 men (73.1 percent) who joined their new firms as partners.
Litigation was the most active practice area represented, with 9 moves. Other active practice areas included:
- Energy (5)
- Antitrust (5)
- Corporate (5)
- Real Estate (4)
- Intellectual Property (3)
- Banking/Finance (2)
- White Collar/Investigations (2)
- Tax (2)
- Employee Benefits (2)
The McCormick Group organizes and chairs a Lateral Partner Recruiting Roundtable, which includes a discussion of key topics of interest in the area of 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. If you are a law firm representative, and would like more information, please contact Steve Nelson at snelson@tmg-dc.com.
