London Private Equity Partner Hires Almost Double in 2025
A recent article from The Global Legal Post by Ben Rigby reports on the findings of Macrae+'s latest research into London's private equity partner hiring market, highlighting a record-breaking year for lateral movement across the City.
According to the Macrae+ report, 50 private equity partners were hired at London law firms in 2025 - almost double the 28 recorded the year before, and the highest figure in the tracking period. In a notable shift, UK-headquartered firms achieved net positive growth for the first time, outpacing their US counterparts - with the AmLaw 50 recording zero net growth over the course of the year. Goodwin and White & Case were the most active recruiters, each adding four partners. The data also points to a diversification in how firms are sourcing talent: lateral hires fell from 89% of moves in 2024 to 66% in 2025, as external promotions and in-house transitions together accounted for more than a third of all moves.
Macrae London's Siobhán Lewington, Co-Managing Partner, comments on the sustained appetite for private equity capability across the market:
"We haven't seen any signs of concentration risk for firms that are focusing on building private equity practices. Quite the opposite - firms are focusing on the risk associated with not building private equity capability. There is this real fear of being left behind and nobody wants to miss the party."
Looking ahead, Macrae+ anticipates that demand for private equity partner talent will remain robust into 2026, with firms increasingly turning to high-profile group-level hires as the pool of well-established senior partners in London remains limited. Real estate private equity and infrastructure are expected to attract particular focus in the year ahead.