Private Equity Partner Movement in California

Explore Partner Hiring Trends Across Private Equity in California

California's private equity partner market reached a five-year high in 2025, with nine partner moves driven by sustained demand for sponsor-anchored M&A talent across the Bay Area and Los Angeles. A run of high-value transactions — from 3G Capital's $9.42 billion acquisition of Skechers to HgCapital and General Atlantic's $6.4 billion acquisition of OneStream in early 2026 — kept experienced laterals firmly in focus.

The data reveals a quiet but sustained shift in where that talent is landing: AmLaw 26–50 firms have posted positive net change every year since 2022, while AmLaw 25 firms were in negative territory for three of those years. Weil was the standout firm of 2025, adding two PE partners as every other active firm added one — a market that remains competitive, with opportunity distributed across platforms.

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