Q2 2026 | Which AM Law Firms Made the Most Lateral Partner Hires?

Lakshana Susinthiran • 3 August 2026

The second quarter of 2026 has wrapped up, so which firms started the year off with the most lateral Partner hires? We’ve taken a look, using publicly-available data tracked by Pirical Legal Professionals.

Ranked: Which Firms Made the Most Lateral Partner Hires in Q2 2026

Global, AM Law 200, Top 50 firms, April 1st 2026 - June 30th 2026

New York and DC Remain the Hottest Cities, But Texas Is Catching Up

The highest number of lateral Partner hires occurred in New York City (152) and Washington, DC (88) – together accounting for nearly a third of all Q2 moves.

London took third spot with 64 lateral moves, followed by Chicago with 47. Dallas (37) and Houston (34) both posted strong quarters – the Texas legal market keeps growing even as the coastal hubs dominate headlines.

Bar chart of laterl hires by city, with New York City highest and green bars for global firms

Litigation and Corporate Continue to Drive the Market

286 of the Partners hired by AM Law 200 firms in Q2 of 2026 have Litigation as their primary focus, more than the next two practice areas combined.

Corporate took second spot with 172 moves, followed by Real Estate with 83 – narrowly ahead of Banking & Finance on 81.

Bar chart of lateral hires by practice area, with Litigation highest and green bars on white background

Hires Sourced From Other AM Law 200 Firms Jumped to 75%

75% of the hires made in the second quarter of 2026 were sourced from within the AM Law 200 – up from 60% in Q1, suggesting firms leaned even harder on established BigLaw talent this quarter.

Kirkland & Ellis lost the most Partners (43), followed by K&L Gates (26) and McDermott Will & Schulte (24).

Of the remaining moves sourced from outside the AM Law 200, a notable share came from Taylor Duma, which closed its doors this quarter.