Private Equity Hires in London Nearly Double in 2025
A recent Legal Business article by Kate Peacock reports on a landmark year for private equity partner hiring in London, drawing on findings from Macrae+'s London Private Equity Report.
According to the report, 50 private equity partners were hired in London in 2025 - up from 28 the previous year, and the highest total recorded since Macrae+ began tracking these moves. The report covers partner-level hires into law firms in London, focusing on the top global firms as well as the UK top 100.
The breakdown of those moves is telling: 33 were lateral partner-to-partner hires, seven came from in-house roles - reflecting a continued shift away from buyout houses and back into private practice - and a further ten joined at partner level having previously held a more junior title at their prior firm.
Goodwin and White & Case led the market, each making four partner hires. White & Case brought over Helen Croke from Ropes & Gray in the summer, followed by Laura Kayani and Nick Matthew from the same firm in September. Goodwin added a three-lawyer team from Paul Hastings in December, with Anu Balasubramanian joined by partners Jamie Holdoway and Chetan Sheth. Clifford Chance, Akin, Dechert, and Addleshaw Goddard each made three hires, while Sullivan & Cromwell and Freshfields each recruited two partners. Notably, two of Clifford Chance's hires came from in-house, with Annie Lewis joining from Blackstone and Patrick Scott from KKR.
The article also highlights continued momentum in PE real estate, which has seen 20 lateral moves in the past 18 months. Siobhán Lewington, Co-Managing Partner at Macrae London, comments on the findings: "It's significant that last year was the most active year for private equity lateral hiring in London since we began tracking these moves in 2020. When we see private equity partner moves almost double year-on-year, it's clear that the market has become more mobile, driven by exceptional demand."
Please note: A subscription may be required to access the full article.