Commercial Dispute Resolution (CDR) published an article examining the latest trends in London’s disputes partner market, drawing on data from our Macrae+ Legalscape: Litigation in London report. The analysis highlights a market that has expanded steadily over the past five years, with partner moves increasing from 22 in 2020 to 35 so far in 2025 - a sign of consistent, strategy-led growth rather than cyclical spikes.
Key Themes Highlighted in the Article
Sustained demand in core specialist areas: Intellectual property disputes and international arbitration continue to anchor hiring, with IP in particular showing notable growth this year.
Momentum in emerging areas: Product and professional liability hires have picked up in 2025, alongside a gradual rise in class-actions-related recruitment.
Gender representation challenges: After reaching 46% in 2022, the proportion of female partner hires has declined to 28% in 2025 YTD, reflecting uneven progress across lateral and promotion pathways.
Market outlook: The CDR piece notes expected acceleration in collective actions, steady international arbitration activity against a complex geopolitical backdrop, and potential impacts from litigation-funding reforms - all of which are likely to influence hiring approaches going into 2026.
Read the full article from Andrew Mizner for CDR here.
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For more insights, connect with the Macrae London team here.
