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The Era of Lawyer Loyalty Is Over: Why the Free Agency Model Is the New BigLaw Standard
The implicit contract between law firms and their attorneys has broken down. With associate attrition at nineteen percent and Wachtell losing nine partners in under two years, the legal market has permanently reframed attorney mobility as professional strategy. Here is what the data says, and what it means for your next career decision.
Associate Mobility Brief - Market Intelligence | JuLY 2026
The associate lateral market posted its first month-over-month increase since March, with 1,126 attorney moves recorded in July - up from June's 1,079. Labor & Employment led all practice areas for the second consecutive month with a net gain of +67, while Corporate turned net-negative for the first time in three months. DC continued to absorb talent at the strongest net rate of any major market, and associates accounted for 52% of all lateral arrivals. Here's what the data signals heading into the back half of Q3.

