2022 Q4 National Newsletter: Reflecting on 2022

Highlights for Am Law 2022: robust movement in Q4; D.C., Houston, Chicago steadiest top markets; Corporate M&A Securities top practice area but slowing; Greenberg Traurig, Holland & Knight tie scoring 65 partner moves each

WHAT WE’RE SEEING

Robust Movement in Q4: It’s expected that the last quarter of the year will be the slowest in terms of lateral moves. While that was true for December, October and November were actually more active than Q3.

The moves were also spread amongst many firms, with the majority netting three or more lateral moves in Q4.

D.C., Houston, Chicago Steadiest Markets: While most of the 10 hottest markets saw significant swings between quarters, a few cities stood out with particularly steady growth: Washington D.C., Houston and Chicago.

All three were also among the few markets to see growth in Q4, each with a 20-30% increase.

Corporate M&A Securities on Top but Slowing: Corporate M&A Securities claimed the top spot with 22% of practice area moves in 2022. But it also saw a decline in growth each quarter after a booming Q1.

Among the top 10 practice areas, Energy & Infrastructure and White Collar Criminal Defense both doubled their partner moves between Q3 and Q4.

Greenberg Traurig, Holland & Knight Tie with 65 Partner Moves: Both Greenberg Traurig and Holland & Knight each netted 65 moves in 2022. Both firms made significant growth to its Corporate M&A Securities and Real Estate practice areas.

A significant portion of Holland & Knights additions were made through strategic acquisitions, including 9 Eversheds Sutherland attorneys to its Energy and Infrastructure practice in November.