2023 NATIONAL NEWSLETTER: YEAR-END REVIEW

Highlights for Am Law 100 2023: steady moves all year; New York, D.C., L.A., Chicago, San Francisco – most active markets; Q1 most partner moves; partners with 10 – 15 years experience most active. 

WHAT WE’RE SEEING

MARCH WAS THE MOST ACTIVE MONTH: March was the most active month in 2023, with 203 partner moves, followed closely by February and May. Fewer than 20 percent of total moves occurred in Oct – Dec, which was consistent with the previous years

NYC, D.C., L.A., CHICAGO & SAN FRANCISCO: MOST ACTIVE MARKETS: NYC was the most active market for the fifth year in a row, followed by D.C., L.A., Chicago, and San Francisco. These five markets accounted for more than half of partner moves across the country.  D.C. had more moves than 2022 while the other markets had fewer.

PARTNERS WITH 10 – 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WERE MOST ACTIVE: Partners who graduated from law school 10 – 15 years ago were consistently the largest group of movers from 2019-2023.In 2023, classes ’00 – ’09 accounted for 40 percent of total moves.

2023 MOVEMENT WAS STEADY BUT SLOWING DOWN:Activity in 2023 was steady but down from 2022 and 2021 by more than 10 percent. Movement from 2019 – 2023 dipped in 2020, then climbed and peaked in 2022. Less movement in 2023 suggests that the market may be leveling out after post-pandemic-driven increases. Activity level in 2023 was most similar to 2019.