US outfits driving hiring spree
The number of City law firm partners moving to rival firms has hit a record high in the first half of 2025, driven in part by US firms willing to offer large pay packages to attract London’s top legal talent.
Fresh stats reveal a record 349 partner moves were announced in the first six months of the year — marking a 30% jump on the same period in 2024 and sitting 25% above the five-year average.
The figures, compiled by recruitment firm Edwards Gibson, show that US firms were among the biggest recruiters, with Kirkland & Ellis and White & Case each hiring 10 partners, while Edwin Coe and Paul Weiss brought in seven apiece. London firm Fladgate topped the list with 12 hires, nine of whom came from collapsed firm Memery Crystal.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows that partners at US firms’ London offices can earn significantly more than their UK rivals, with Kirkland’s profit per equity partner topping £6 million — over three times the average at some Magic Circle firms.
But with arrivals come departures too. The stats show A&O Shearman lost the most partners in London, with 15 exits as it adjusts to life post-mega merger, while Kennedys saw 10 departures, White & Case nine, and Paul Hastings seven.
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