If you want to understand the future of BigLaw, follow the hiring.
Firms are placing strategic bets in the practice groups they believe will define the legal landscape over the next decade. Partner movement tells the story of where clients are spending, where regulation is tightening, and where firms are doubling down on talent.
Using data collected by the team at Pirical, we’ve analysed partner expansion across the Am Law 200 since 2022. The fastest-growing areas reveal where pressure is intensifying, where capital is concentrating, and where firms see their most compelling opportunities for long-term growth.
Cybersecurity: BigLaw’s Fastest-Moving Practice
Across the Am Law 200, Cybersecurity, Privacy & Data Protection has seen a +19% rise in partner headcount since 2022 — the sharpest growth of any practice area globally.
As regulation races ahead of corporate infrastructure, demand for tech-literate lawyers continues to surge. Companies are navigating overlapping cybersecurity regimes, stricter enforcement, and heightened investor scrutiny. For top law firms, deep cyber capability is no longer optional — it’s essential.
Close behind, Regulatory & Compliance has grown +15%, driven by scrutiny around financial systems, AI deployment, and ESG disclosures. Heading into 2026, we’ve seen a clear uptick in associate and counsel-level instructions in these areas, as firms build depth beneath recently hired partners.
Funds Rebounds — and Concentrates in Major Hubs
When geography is factored in, Investment Funds stands out as the practice with the most dramatic expansion across key financial centres:
- London: +47% partner growth
- Washington, D.C.: +33%
- New York: +29%
After a quieter fundraising cycle in 2023, firms have restructured to meet increasing demand in fund formation, regulatory advisory, and secondaries. The competition for talent — particularly in private funds, credit, and hybrid finance — remains fierce.
Across the business, we’ve also been exceptionally active in Funds recruitment, with a record number of placements and continued instructions across all major legal hubs. Our team has facilitated both partner and associate moves — from junior to senior levels — across investment funds and increasingly niche areas of the market.
As secondaries continue to boom, we’re seeing greater specialisation across both target asset classes (such as infrastructure secondaries, credit secondaries, and venture secondaries) and transaction types — from GP- and LP-led deals to single- and multi-asset continuation vehicles, small-cap transactions, and even “tertiary” secondaries.
Read more about the market’s evolving dynamics here.
Litigation Expands in Emerging U.S. Markets
Beyond the financial capitals, litigation is driving growth in emerging U.S. markets. Firms are following their clients into cities with expanding corporate footprints.
McDermott Will & Emery’s 2025 Nashville launch is one example — part of a wider wave that’s seen Am Law 100 firms deepen benches in Texas, Florida, and the Midwest. For recruiters, this shift is creating openings for mid-level associates looking to return home while retaining Am Law-quality work.
Growth Patterns by Am Law Tier
Am Law 1–50
The largest firms remain concentrated in London and New York, where Banking & Finance continues to dominate. London-based Acquisition & Leveraged Finance has grown +75%, led by firms such as Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, and White & Case. Across the top 50, London partner numbers have risen +16% since 2022 — a trend mirrored in Sonder’s own placement data.
Am Law 51–100
More diversified growth, with Corporate/M&A accelerating across:
- Denver: +94%
- Boston: +66%
- Houston: +50%
- Los Angeles: +44%
Am Law 101–200
A litigation-led story. Employment and commercial disputes have surged, especially across the West Coast. The +135% increase in San Diego correlates with firm consolidation — most notably Quarles & Brady’s merger with Paul, Plevin — and the resulting appetite for experienced trial lawyers.
What It Means for 2026 and Beyond
The data paints a picture of a market that’s both global and hyper-local:
- Complex technology is driving explosive growth in cyber and compliance.
- Capital activity is centralising funds and finance talent in London, and major US hubs.
- Litigation expansion mirrors the rise of regional economies.
Looking ahead to 2026, we’re also seeing a burst of disputes activity across London’s top-tier firms, with renewed investment in Commercial Litigation and International Arbitration. The trend mirrors what we’ve observed in the U.S. — firms strengthening contentious practices to capture growing client demand in a more volatile regulatory and economic landscape.
For lawyers, this means more mobility and choice than at any point since 2019. For firms, it demands strategic recruitment — the ability to attract niche talent fast, in the markets that matter most.
At Sonder Consultants, we partner closely with global firms navigating these shifts. From advising on team builds to facilitating lateral partner hires, our insight-led recruitment model ensures both lawyers and hiring teams stay ahead of where the market — and the opportunities — are heading next.
