November 2026
(covering October)
October was a big month in BigLaw. Here's what I'm watching as a nationwide lateral recruiter.
1. Weil plans to wind down.
On Oct. 28, Weil's management committee recommended that the 95-year-old firm, with about 1,200 lawyers, pursue an orderly wind-down. Partners are expected to vote in the coming days. Weil has hired restructuring adviser AlixPartners and intends to wind down out of court, and an adviser to the firm says it expects a solvent wind-down. More than 30 partners had already left this year.
Associates, counsel, non-capital partners and staff who stay get up to 90 days of salary and benefits. Eligible staff get bonuses in mid-December. Associates, counsel and non-capital partners have to stay through Jan. 1, 2027 to collect theirs, paid in early January.
Hundreds of strong associates are about to hit the market at the same time, especially in restructuring, litigation and private equity. If you're one of them, take it one step at a time. Know your bonus eligibility date before you give notice. At Weil, leaving before Jan. 1 likely means walking away from it.
2. Base pay: the $235K scale is spreading.
Milbank's June raise set first-year pay at $235,000 and eighth-year pay at $455,000, effective July 1. A later group of firms is adopting the scale effective Jan. 1, 2027. Cooley announced in October that it will move to the scale then. Cravath's careers page still lists $225,000 to $420,000. On Oct. 30, DLA Piper adopted the $235K to $455K scale for 2027.
3. Bonuses: the special bonus is getting matched.
The year-end grid is still pending. Cahill matched Milbank's $6,000 to $25,000 special bonus on Sept. 24 and paid it Oct. 15.
DLA Piper announced market year-end bonuses plus the Milbank special bonus. It also has a 2,000-hour minimum, and non-billable hours count toward it. For every 100 hours above the minimum, DLA pays up to 50% more of the market bonus. Associates who hit their hours by Nov. 30 get paid Dec. 24. Enhanced bonuses pay out Feb. 5.
Cooley has also said it will pay a 2026 special bonus but hasn't confirmed amounts. The market year-end grid has been $15,000 to $115,000 since 2021, and the 2026 version is expected this month.
4. Lateral hiring isn't slowing down for Q4.
AM Law 200 firms made 971 lateral partner hires in Q3, compared with 967 a year earlier. Year to date, they're 5% more active. Gordon & Rees led with 49 hires, followed by Kirkland (39), Greenberg Traurig (32), DLA Piper (29) and Sidley (27). New York (196) and D.C. (103) drove 31% of moves, and banking and finance partner hires climbed to 107.
On the associate side, arrivals at selected Am Law 100 firms rose 22.8% year over year in Q3 across their global offices (2,549 vs. 2,076). Departures rose too, so more associates still left than joined.
Recruiters also report that cash-rich firms are increasingly paying breakage to close key lateral partner hires. That runs against the usual Q4 slowdown.
My take: If you're thinking about a move, timing is everything right now. Know your current firm's bonus payment date. If you'd forfeit it, raise that with the hiring firm early so it's written into the offer. With the year-end grid due any day and a big wave of talent about to hit the market, the next 60 days will move fast.
Joey Sandler, Lateral Lock