In recent months, White & Case LLP has emerged as a prominent destination for attracting top-tier lateral hires specializing in M&A. This active pursuit of partners in such a competitive market is significant, particularly as many recruited attorneys come from firms with higher profits per partner rates.
Analyzing Leopard Solutions data, we investigated whether White & Case’s activity was an isolated event or part of a broader trend in M&A hiring. While overall lateral hires in the AmLaw 200 have shown slight declines over the past year, there’s a potential for growth in April, indicating White & Case’s opportunity to capitalize on market conditions and attract talent from more profitable firms.
However, a deeper dive into Leopard’s Job Trend Report paints a nuanced picture. It reveals a substantial increase in M&A job openings at AmLaw 200 firms in the first three months of Q1 2024, with a notable surge from December 2023 to January 2024. Despite a slower April, predictive analytics anticipate a steady rise in job openings in the coming months, suggesting sustained interest in M&A roles.
