Law Firm Partner Moves in London - Issue 63

May - June 2021

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Welcome to the 63^rd edition of lateral partner moves in the legal market from Edwards Gibson; where we look back at announced partner-level recruitment activity in London over the past two months and give you a ‘who’s moved where’ update.

If there was any doubt that recruitment activity has roared back to life, at the half year mark there were 253 partner hires in the London market - up 30% on the 195 we saw last year. In terms of laterals (partner-to-partner hires) the figures are 188 vs 140 respectively (a 34% rise on last year).

Year to date Kirkland & Ellis enjoys the dubious distinction of being both the most prolific hirer of partners (8) and the firm with highest partner attrition rate (9). In terms of number of hires, last year’s most acquisitive partner recruiter, Addleshaw Goddard, comes a close second with 7 hires.

Top partner recruiters in London 2021 (inclusive of moves from non-partnership) *
Kirkland & Ellis	8
Addleshaw Goddard	7
Dentons	6
DWF	6

Firms with largest attrition in London 2021 (partnership to partnership moves only) *
Kirkland & Ellis	9
White & Case	6
McDermott Will & Emery	5
Stephenson Harwood	5

*To 30 June 2021

In addition: Edwin Coe; Fladgate; Goodwin Procter; Hogan Lovells; JMW Solicitors; McDermott Will & Emery; Paul Hastings; Shearman & Sterling; Simmons & Simmons; and Squire Patton Boggs have each nabbed five partners a-piece so far this year.

May - June 2021

This bi-monthly round-up contains 80 partner moves – up 31% on the 61 we saw last year and 11 % up on the cumulative five-year average for the same period. Arguably the most significant move this edition was a rare magic circle team switch - Allen & Overy’s swiping of leveraged finance duo Annette Kurdian and Robert Burt from rival Linklaters.

Top partner recruiters in London May – June 2021
DWF	6
Kirkland & Ellis	6
Fladgate	4
Addleshaw Goddard	3
Dechert	3
Dentons	3
DLA Piper	3
Edwin Coe	3
Paul Hastings	3

Also of note in this edition

Three firms hired partners from in-house: Browne Jacobson (Government Legal Department), Clifford Chance (General Electric) and Greenberg Traurig (Facebook);
31% of all moves were non-partners moving into partnership;
25% of hires were female.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss this article or any other aspect of the market in more depth.

Scott Gibson, Director scott.gibson@edwardsgibson.com

Sloane Poulton, Director sloane.poulton@edwardsgibson.com

Mark Coates, Senior Consultant mark.coates@edwardsgibson.com

Please click here to understand our methodology for compiling Partner Moves

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