Number of Lawyers at Surveyed BigLaw Firms Was Static in 2011, But Lateral Hiring Continues
A survey of 45 large law firms showed the number of lawyers they employed in 2011 didn’t change, but that doesn’t mean the firms weren’t hiring.
The survey by Hildebrandt Institute’s Peer Monitor concluded the number of lawyers at the firms was static last year, according to Thomson Reuters News & Insight. But lateral hiring has been robust.
At the beginning of the year, corporate partners were in demand. Firms also recruited lawyers with experience in technology, intellectual property and energy law throughout the year.
Peter Zeughauser of legal industry strategy firm Zeughauser Group tells Reuters that lawyers with large books of business are also being sought. They are most likely to move at the beginning of the year after receiving compensation from their current firms. “The big takeaway is cherry picking is more and more aggressive,” Zeughauser said.
