This is the latest update on lateral partner and counsel moves in the Washington, D.C. area. The data included in these reports is primarily derived from Firm Prospects LLC. For more details and analysis, please contact TMG’s Steve Nelson (snelson@tmg-dc.com) or Dave Ris (dris@tmg-dc.com).
May was another relatively slow month for lateral hiring with 56 partners and counsel moves reported in the Washington, D.C., area. That followed the 57 moves reported in April. By comparison, there were 93 moves reported in May 2021 and 64 in April of that year. Overall, the number of moves for the first five months decreased by 6 percent.
Group movement continues to hold steady as four groups consisting of at least two partners/counsel moved from one firm to another in May. Overall, there have been 17 group moves in the first five months of 2022, compared to 16 during the January-May 2021 period. Groups moving in May included a six-lawyer Registered Funds group (including three in DC) that left Proskauer Rose for Kirkland & Ellis, a two-partner ERISA Litigation group that joined Nixon Peabody form DLA Piper, a five-lawyer group (including two partners and one counsel) who left Womble Bond Dickinson for Perkins Coie, and a two-partner Data Privacy Group that joined Sidley Austin from Baker & McKenzie.
Other firms reporting multiple moves in May included:
- DLA Piper
- Goodwin Procter
- Husch Blackwell
- Potomac Law Group
Hiring from the government decreased in May, with seven lawyers moving from government positions, down from 16 in April. Five lawyers moved from in-house positions
Twenty-three of the 56 movers (41 percent) were women. But unlike last month, when more than 85 percent of women entered their new firms as partners, only five (21.7 percent) were named partner. That compares to 81.8 percent of men that entered their new firms as partner.
Litigation was the most active practice area, with 7 moves. Other active practice areas were Intellectual Property (5), Data Privacy (5), Corporate (5), and FDA (3).
