Life Sciences Partner Hiring Up Amid Regulatory Scrutiny
A recent Law360 article by Aebra Coe examines how partner hiring in life sciences grew across key markets between 2024 and 2025 — drawing on data and analysis from Macrae+'s newly released life sciences report.
The analysis covers large law firm partner movement across New York, Boston, Washington, DC, California, and London, finding that overall moves rose from 58 in 2024 to 65 in 2025. Boston saw the most significant growth, with additions nearly doubling year over year — from nine to 17. Activity also increased in Washington, DC and California, while New York fell from 12 to six and London saw a modest dip from nine to eight.
The piece explores the range of forces driving this activity, from heightened regulatory scrutiny by the FDA, DOJ, FTC and HHS — particularly fuelling demand in Washington, DC and New York — to a surge in licensing, IP partnerships, and cross-border work across all markets. Peggy Bennett, Managing Director in Macrae’s Washington, DC office, comments in the article:
"There are many factors driving the acquisition of top talent in this area. There has been a notable uptick in regulatory enforcement activity, as well as increased work relating to data privacy, cross-border deals and antitrust, fueling the need for top talent. We are also seeing a surge in licensing and IP partnerships, which is driving demand."
The article also notes that following a broader lull in lateral hiring in 2023, the legal market saw renewed momentum in 2024 — a trend that continued into 2025, with firms becoming increasingly selective as business cases for each addition came under greater scrutiny.
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