California: Partner Lateral Market - 2026 Q1 in Review

California recorded 72 partner moves in 2026 Q1, down from 90 in 2025 Q1 - but 2025 annual volume grew from 231 to 309 moves, so the Q1 dip sits against a market that expanded significantly last year.

For the first time in recent years, Corporate and Litigation drew level at the top of the practice area rankings. The AmLaw 25 turned net negative for the first time in the dataset, while the AmLaw 50 and AmLaw 100 each had their strongest Q1 net figures in the period.

Willkie led Q1 gross additions, followed by Ballard Spahr - neither a firm with a strong historical presence in the California lateral market.

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