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As 2025 moves into its final quarter, two practice areas are making a strong return in the New York legal market: antitrust and restructuring. Both are back in demand, and firms are staffing up to keep pace. What’s driving the rebound? A mix of tougher regulators, market turbulence, and the ripple effects of fast-moving tech. All signs point to these practices staying busy well into 2026.
Antitrust’s Big Comeback
Leading law firms are expanding their antitrust benches to meet heightened demand from regulators and private litigants alike. Government enforcement, private lawsuits, and rapid changes in technology and AI are converging, driving a sharp uptick in workload.
Regulators are particularly aggressive in scrutinizing the tech, pharma, and consumer sectors. Enforcement efforts are spilling into the private bar, where plaintiffs are filing increasingly ambitious cases that often mirror government actions. These matters are resource-intensive, requiring discovery-heavy litigation and well-coordinated teams.
Meanwhile, the acceleration of AI adoption is raising new competition questions. Companies are testing the boundaries of antitrust law as they seek market advantage—or guard against being left behind. These cases frequently overlap with IP, M&A, and complex commercial litigation, giving associates cross-disciplinary exposure.
What’s Behind the Surge
- Government Enforcement: Broader, more complex investigations and challenges, particularly in technology, pharma, and consumer markets.
- Private Litigation: Ambitious suits paralleling government action, bringing heavy discovery and new theories of harm.
- AI and Emerging Tech: New competition issues tied to rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and digital platforms.
- Cross-Practice Work: Matters intersect with IP, M&A, and litigation, offering associates a diverse workload.
Firms are recruiting across all levels. While mid-level associates remain a priority, demand spans from juniors able to jump into fast-moving cases to seniors leading high-stakes litigation.
Restructuring Ramps Up
Restructuring is also gaining traction. Corporate bankruptcy filings surged in 2024, and with credit markets still tight, activity is expected to remain strong through 2026. Firms are shoring up their restructuring groups with additional talent and leadership to handle increasingly complex, often cross-border matters.
The Forces at Play
- Corporate Debt Loads: Leveraged companies under mounting financial stress are turning to restructuring.
- Distressed M&A and Liability Management: Beyond bankruptcies, debt exchanges, distressed deals, and liability-management transactions are fueling demand.
- Economic Volatility: Interest rate pressure and market uncertainty are sustaining consistent deal flow.
Restructuring remains attractive for its versatility. It blends litigation, corporate, and finance, ensuring steady activity even when traditional deal cycles cool.
Why These Trends Matter
Antitrust and restructuring are resurging for very different reasons: antitrust thrives in a stricter regulatory environment, while restructuring grows when market conditions tighten. Together, they illustrate how firms are diversifying their practices to stay competitive.
For the New York market, this means:
- Ongoing Hiring: Firms are actively expanding their teams across all levels.
- Strategic Growth: Practices once considered cyclical are now core to long-term strategy.
- Client Impact: Companies facing regulatory, technological, or financial pressure are relying heavily on these teams.
Looking Ahead
The renewed strength of antitrust and restructuring in New York highlights how quickly client needs shift—and how fast firms adapt. With regulators maintaining pressure and the economy still unsettled, both practices are expected to remain busy into 2026. For associates and partners alike, these areas represent not just current momentum but sustained opportunity.
Thinking about your next move?
Whether you’re exploring antitrust, restructuring, or other high-demand areas in New York, Sonder Consultants can help you navigate the market and find the right fit. Get in touch with our US team for a confidential conversation.
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