Edwards Gibson Featured in the Financial Times article: "US law firms’ London expansion drives record number of job moves"

We are excited to share that Edwards Gibson has been prominently featured in an exclusive Financial Times article, ‘US law firms’ London expansion drives record number of job moves’ by Suzi Ring, with the publication basing its report on our latest data on partner moves in London. As the go-to source for insights on lateral hiring trends, our research revealed that 155 senior lawyers changed firms in January and February 2025 alone – a figure more than double that for the same period over the last 10 years and more than a third up on the all-time record set in 2017. 

This hiring frenzy is being driven by deep-pocketed US law firms aggressively expanding their London presence, poaching partners from established City firms, while UK firms fight to retain talent. The competition has fuelled a bidding war, with some firms offering double-digit million-dollar compensation packages to secure top-tier legal talent.

Edwards Gibson director Scott Gibson noted that this unprecedented level of movement has been powered by record US law firm profitability, with firms leveraging their war chests to attract the best talent. However, he also cautioned that the rapid pace of hiring may soon slow, as the pool of elite partners available to move dwindles.

The Financial Times article states that, with this year’s strong start, all signs point to 2025 being another landmark year for lateral recruitment in London’s legal market.

Speaking as head-hunters, although that would be lovely, Edwards Gibson is not so sure!

Read the full Financial Times article here.