This Q3 2025 report provides a consolidated overview of in-house legal movements at law firms between July and September 2025, offering a snapshot of ongoing trends in lateral recruitment and internal restructuring. By listing each individual and classifying them by seniority, the report highlights the scale and nature of in-house legal resourcing activity across the sector.
The data is designed to help stakeholders monitor hiring patterns, anticipate future shifts, and shape informed strategies around talent acquisition and retention. It also offers insight into how firms are evolving their in-house functions and the levels of experience being prioritised in recent appointments.
Moves by quarter
Q3 2025 continued the quieter pattern, which first started in the spring. Overall activity remained contained at 19 moves, well below the highs of Q4 2024 and Q1 2025. Firms appear to be consolidating teams, directing spend towards targeted senior roles and internal progression rather than broad external expansion.
This moderation likely reflects several factors:
- Post-year-end and mid-cycle budget discipline, with approvals pushed to late Q4 for Jan/Feb starts.
- A front-loaded prior 12 months (notably Q4 2024 and Q1 2025), reducing near-term hiring pressure.
- Regulatory and economic uncertainty, encouraging firms to invest in control-point seniority while deferring bench growth.
Moves by firm type
Activity by firm type shows Upper-Mid Market City as the most active cohort this quarter (6 moves: Pinsent Masons, Taylor Wessing, Stephenson Harwood, Addleshaw Goddard). Full Service firms followed (4), with Silver Circle and Elite US each contributing ~3 moves, primarily at senior or governance levels. International megafirms were lighter (1), with Private Client and Boutique registering isolated moves.
In contrast:
- Elite US activity returned in targeted governance and deputy GC posts rather than broad team build-outs.
- National firms were quieter than in peak quarters, focusing on specific leadership requirements rather than volume.
Background of moves
Background of movers reinforces a strong preference for proven law-firm insiders. Q3 saw 17 moves from law-firm in-house to law-firm in-house, 2 from private practice, and there were no moves from traditional in-house. The balance suggests tactical hiring aimed at lowering onboarding risk and accelerating time-to-impact in control functions (conflicts, financial crime, PI/claims, ER, client contracts, privacy).
Moves by seniority
Seniority mix remained top-weighted. Of the 19 moves, 13 were Senior (9PQE+), with 3 Mid-Level (4–8PQE) and 3 Junior (NQ–3PQE). Firms continue to prioritise leadership and oversight over bench depth, especially where risk, regulatory and operational assurance intersect.
Promotions v new hires
Internal progression again outpaced external hiring:
- 12 promotions into in-house legal roles
- 7 new hires
This ratio underscores a continued emphasis on retention, continuity and institutional knowledge. It also reflects the maturity of many in-house legal functions, where clear progression paths allow firms to strengthen capability without the cost and integration risk of lateral recruitment.
What’s being built
- Risk leadership & governance: Heads/Directors of Risk, GC/OGC adjacencies, Chief/Deputy/International GC roles.
- Financial crime & sanctions: Heads/Directors and specialist counsel (including DMLRO/MLRO-adjacent).
- Conflicts & business acceptance: Deputy/Lead Conflicts Counsel and conflicts analysis leads.
- PI/claims & professional liability: Senior claims leads and PI specialists.
- Employee relations (in-house employment): ER advisers/counsel situated within GC/Risk.
- Client contracts, audit & assurance; privacy & data: AGC/Client Contracts, audit/assurance counsel, privacy/DPO-adjacent posts.
Read-across: Firms are hardening control frameworks and tightening commercial hygiene (client terms, audit/assurance) while adding targeted senior oversight where external and regulatory scrutiny is highest.
Outlook
With approvals typically bunching in late Q4, we expect selective senior laterals to complete for Jan/Feb starts—particularly in financial crime/sanctions, PI/claims leadership, client-contract economics/audit & assurance, and AI/digital legal change governance as policies move from pilot to implementation. Junior and mid-level demand should improve into Q1/Q2 2026 as teams address capacity and succession planning.
List of market moves Q3 2025
Junior (NQ – 3PQE)
Francine Mills has been promoted to Associate General Counsel – Client Contracts and Commercial at Pinsent Masons from their previous role as Head of Client Contracts.
Andrea Trattner has been appointed as Risk Lawyer at Taylor Wessing from their previous role as In-House Counsel (Office of the General Counsel) at Bird & Bird.
Sophie Connolly has been promoted to Legal Risk & Compliance Solicitor at Russell-Cooke Solicitors from their previous role as Associate.
Mid-Level (4PQE – 8PQE)
Sofia Aslam has been promoted to Senior Associate (General Counsel and Risk) at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer from their previous role as Associate (General Counsel and Risk).
Ellie Adams has been appointed as Risk Lawyer at Taylor Wessing from their previous role as Risk & Compliance Lawyer at Russell-Cooke Solicitors.
Laura Bradley has been promoted to Senior Risk Lawyer at Mishcon de Reya LLP from their previous role as Senior Compliance & Risk Counsel.
Senior (9PQE+)
Claire S has been promoted to Associate General Counsel – Audit & Assurance at Pinsent Masons from their previous role as Audit and Assurance Counsel.
Claire Thorne has been appointed as Head of Risk and Compliance at Birketts LLP from their previous role as Risk and Compliance Manager (Solicitor) at Hunt & Coombs Solicitors.
Lois Hinchliffe has been promoted to Legal & Regulatory Risk Manager at Stephenson Harwood LLP from their previous role as Senior Risk Lawyer.
Dimitris Tsamis has been promoted to Senior Compliance and Risk Counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys from their previous role as Senior Compliance and Risk Adviser.
Kath Porter has been promoted to Deputy General Counsel at White & Case LLP from their previous role as Consultant – Office of the General Counsel.
Tamsin Lloyd has been promoted to Senior Lawyer – Office of the General Counsel (Commercial & Regulatory) at Addleshaw Goddard from their previous role as Lawyer – (Commercial & Regulatory) Office of the General Counsel.
Amy Hunter has been promoted to Head of Commercial Legal at Trowers & Hamlins from their previous role as Senior Legal Counsel, GC & Risk.
Robert Drury has been appointed as Head of Risk & Compliance – Europe at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP from their previous role as Head of Financial Crime at Slaughter and May.
Andrew Maidment has been promoted to Head of Risk at Trowers & Hamlins from their previous role as Senior Legal Counsel.
Sarnjit Lal has been promoted to Director of Financial Crime, Risk & Compliance at Harbottle & Lewis from their previous role as Head of Financial Crime Risk & Compliance.
James Foale has been appointed as Head of Risk at Macfarlanes from their previous role as Senior In-House Counsel (Governance & Compliance) at Eversheds Sutherland.
Rachel Hearn has been appointed as Senior Legal Counsel (Employment) at DLA Piper from their previous role as Senior Associate, Employment Law at Charles Russell Speechlys.
Justine Cowling has been appointed as International General Counsel at Kirkland & Ellis from their previous role as General Counsel at BCLP.
