Topic: Market update
The Knowledge Lawyer market saw a marked acceleration in activity throughout 2025, with overall movement significantly outpacing 2024 across most practice areas. The data points to a market that has not only recovered momentum but is actively expanding, as firms continue to invest in Knowledge as a core strategic function rather than a support-only role.
Activity in the Knowledge Lawyer market remained strong in Q4 2025, rounding off a year that saw sustained and increasingly targeted investment in Knowledge capability across firms. With a total of 33 moves, activity continued to concentrate in practice areas where technical complexity and regulatory change are most pronounced, with Litigation leading the quarter at 8 moves, followed by Banking & Finance and FS/Reg with 4 moves each.
Corporate and Real Estate each recorded 3 moves, while Commercial/Tech and Construction saw 2 moves respectively, pointing to selective hiring within established Knowledge teams. The continued presence of multi-practice Knowledge roles reflects a broader shift toward cross-practice and blended positions, often aligned with innovation and firm-wide initiatives. Overall, the data highlights a mature and deliberate Knowledge Lawyer market, with firms prioritising strategic hires that support quality, consistency, and long-term capability.
Knowledge Lawyer Moves 2024 V 2025
The Knowledge Lawyer market saw a significant increase in activity between 2024 and 2025, with total moves rising from just under 100 to 142, reflecting a sustained appetite for specialist legal expertise across multiple sectors across all firms.
Litigation led the growth, doubling from 14 moves in 2024 to 28 in 2025, underscoring the ongoing complexity of contentious work and the critical need for specialist knowledge support in disputes, investigations, and regulatory enforcement. Banking & Finance also saw notable growth, rising from 12 to 17 moves, while Corporate and Corporate Finance activity increased to 15 and 4 moves respectively, indicating continued demand in regulation-heavy and technically complex practices.
Commercial/Tech and Competition recorded sharp uplifts, with moves rising from 4 to 14 and 4 to 9 respectively, highlighting a marked expansion in practices tied to innovation, technology, and sector-specific regulatory pressures. Head of roles (Multi-practice) also saw increased activity, from 2 to 8 moves, suggesting a strategic broadening of Knowledge Lawyer investment across firms.
A number of sectors showed steadier or more selective movement. Employment, FS/Reg, and Tax/Pensions recorded moderate increases, while Real Estate remained stable at 9 moves. Conversely, Energy & Infrastructure, ESG, Family, and Innovation/Tech saw either limited or declining activity, indicating a more targeted approach in these areas. Insurance and Private Client recorded small increases, reflecting selective appointments rather than broad expansion.
Overall, the year-on-year comparison highlights a Knowledge Lawyer market that is both growing and increasingly strategic, with firms prioritizing hires in areas of sustained legal complexity, regulatory change, and sector-specific demand, while making deliberate, targeted appointments in more specialized or emerging areas.
Firm Type Overview
Mid-market firms were the most active hirers of Knowledge Lawyers in Q4 2025, accounting for a significant proportion of moves across a wide range of practice areas. Appointments were seen at firms including Edwin Coe, Knights, Capsticks, Kennedys, Burges Salmon, Shoosmiths, Ashfords, Mills & Reeve, Freeths, Tees, Tozier, and Penningtons Manches Cooper, spanning Litigation, Banking & Finance, Construction, Real Estate, Insurance, Tax / Pensions, and Multi-practice roles. This breadth of activity highlights the continued prioritisation of Knowledge investment among mid-sized firms, particularly those focused on scalability, consistency, and supporting growth across multiple teams.
Hiring among International, American, Magic Circle, and Silver Circle firms was more selective but strategically focused. US firms such as Skadden, Sullivan & Cromwell, Cadwalader, and White & Case made targeted Knowledge hires across Corporate, Competition, Banking & Finance, Real Estate, and FS/Reg, reflecting the importance of deep technical and regulatory expertise in high-value practices. Magic Circle firms, including Linklaters, Slaughter and May, and A&O Shearman, concentrated activity in FS/Reg, Corporate, and Commercial/Tech, while Silver Circle firms such as Ashurst, Macfarlanes, and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner made focused appointments in Competition, Corporate, and Litigation.
Notably, Service Providers continued to feature in the Knowledge Lawyer market, with roles at FromCounsel, Thomson Reuters, and Clarilis, alongside a move out to Knowledge to in-house at Close Brothers and some making a transition back to fee-earning within law firms. This reinforces the increasingly broad application and transferrable skills of Knowledge expertise beyond traditional private practice, as firms and organisations look to embed legal knowledge, systems thinking, and innovation across a wider range of business models.
Seniority Overview
Hiring in Q4 2025 was overwhelmingly weighted towards senior Knowledge Lawyers, with 29 moves at 10+ PQE, reinforcing the continued preference for experienced practitioners who can operate autonomously and add immediate value. This reflects the strategic nature of many Knowledge appointments, where firms are seeking individuals with deep technical expertise, strong credibility with partners, and the ability to influence training, precedent development, and firm-wide initiatives.
By contrast, there was limited activity at mid-level, with just one move in the 6–9 PQE bracket, while junior hires (0–5 PQE) accounted for three appointments. This distribution suggests that, in the current market, firms remain cautious about building junior Knowledge pipelines and instead prioritise senior hires who can support complex practice needs, regulatory change, and increasingly sophisticated Knowledge and innovation agendas from day one.
Taken together, this points to a market that is still heavily reliant on senior expertise, and raises continuous questions around how firms are planning for longer-term Knowledge capability– particularly in terms of nurturing emerging talent and ensuring continuity within Knowledge teams over time.
Moves by Sector Overview
Sector activity in Q4 2025 was led by Litigation, which accounted for 8 Knowledge Lawyer moves, continuing its position as the most consistently active area of the market. This reflects the sustained complexity of contentious work and the ongoing need for specialist knowledge support across disputes, investigations, and regulatory enforcement. Banking & Finance and FS/Reg followed closely behind, with 4 moves each, underscoring continued demand in regulation-heavy and technically complex practices.
A second tier of activity was seen across Corporate, Real Estate, and Multi-practice roles, each recording 3 moves, pointing to steady but selective hiring in established Knowledge teams. Commercial/Tech, Construction, and Competition each saw 2 moves, while Insurance and Tax / Pensions recorded more limited activity with 1 move respectively, suggesting targeted appointments rather than broad-based expansion in those areas.
In summary, the Q4 data highlights a Knowledge Lawyer market that remains firmly focused on areas of sustained legal complexity and regulatory change. While Litigation and Finance-led practices continue to dominate, the spread of activity across multiple sectors indicates that Knowledge investment is now embedded across a broad range of practice areas, with firms making deliberate, needs-driven hires rather than opportunistic additions.
Promotions vs New Roles
Q4 2025 activity in Knowledge Lawyer moves was predominantly driven by new roles, with 25 appointments recorded. This figure includes both external hires and candidates moving internally from fee-earning positions into Knowledge Lawyer roles, highlighting firms’ continued reliance on both lateral recruitment and internal transitions to strengthen specialist teams. Promotions within existing Knowledge teams accounted for 8 moves, reflecting ongoing internal talent development alongside strategic growth.
The predominance of new roles indicates a market focused on expanding capacity and injecting fresh expertise, whether through external hires or by tapping into internal fee-earner talent with relevant sector knowledge. Promotions, while fewer, remain a key mechanism for retaining high performers and sustaining institutional knowledge within established teams.
In essence, the Q4 data illustrates a Knowledge Lawyer market that is outward-looking and strategically growth-oriented, with firms making deliberate, needs-driven appointments to address complex, sector-specific demands while also leveraging internal talent pipelines.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Given the marked growth in Knowledge Lawyer moves between 2024 and 2025, the market is well-positioned for continued expansion in 2026. The increasing number of new roles and internal transitions underscores the strategic importance of Knowledge Lawyers in supporting complex, regulation-heavy, and technically demanding practices. As firms continue to recognise the value of specialist knowledge teams in enhancing efficiency, quality, and client service, we envisage the upward trajectory in hires and internal promotions to persist.
The sector’s growing reputation as a critical business enabler is likely to fuel both lateral recruitment and internal development, with firms continuing to invest in building resilient, high-performing Knowledge teams. While exact volumes will inevitably vary by practice area, the broader trend points to a Knowledge Lawyer market that will remain dynamic, sought-after, and increasingly central to firm strategy in 2026.
List of Knowledge Lawyer Market Moves Q4 2025
Banking/ Finance
Krystin Streeter has been appointed to Knowledge Management Lawyer at Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft LLP from their previous role as Senior Manager at Reed Smith LLP.
Georgina Vale has been appointed to Restructuring Associate (Knowledge Lawyer / PSL) at Sullivan & Cromwell from their previous role as Associate at Kirkland & Ellis.
Emma Wood has been appointed to Professional Support Lawyer at Burges Salmon LLP from their previous role as Managing Associate, Banking & Finance at Foot Anstey LLP.
Jacqueline Murphy has been promoted to Associate Director – Knowledge Management Lawyer for Restructuring & Insolvency at Freeths LLP from their previous role as Managing Associate, Knowledge Lawyer for R&I.
Commercial/Tech
Gianpaolo Gangemi has been promoted to AI Lawyer at Linklaters LLP from their previous role as Senior Associate (Knowledge).
Helen Rose has been appointed to Senior Specialist Legal Editor, Practical Law at Thomson Reuters from their previous role as Professional Support Lawyer at Bristows.
Competition
Fiona Garside has been promoted to Expertise Counsel at Ashurst from their previous role as Senior Expertise Lawyer, Antitrust, Regulatory and Trade.
Simon Dodd has been promoted to Senior Knowledge Strategy Lawyer- Global Merger Control at Skadden, Alps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates from their previous role as PSL-Global Merger Control.
Construction
Jessica Twombley has been appointed to Principal Associate at Capsticks LLP from their previous role as Knowledge Lawyer- Construction at Macfarlanes LLP.
Victoria Nichols has been appointed to Professional Support Lawyer at Mills & Reeve from their previous role as Senior Associate.
Corporate
Beliz McKenzie has been appointed to Senior Knowledge Strategy Lawyer at Skadden, Alps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates from their previous role as Knowledge Counsel at Travers Smith.
Nicola Blair has been appointed to Head of Corporate Knowledge at Slaughter and May from their previous role as Knowledge Development Lawyer (Corporate) at Lewis Silkin LLP.
Agnes Macduff has been appointed to Corporate Knowledge Lawyer at Macfarlanes LLP from their previous role as Senior Associate at Withers.
FS/Reg
Elton Qemali has been promoted to Support Lawyer Tech/ Fintech (Knowledge) at Linklaters LLP from their previous role as Tech/Fintech Knowledge Paralegal.
Zoë Jensen has been appointed to Senior Legal Counsel at Close Brothers from their previous role as Senior Knowledge Lawyer, Financial Services Investigations at A&O Shearman.
Duncan Campbell has been appointed to Senior Knowledge Lawyer at A&O Shearman from their previous role as Senior Associate (Knowledge) at Linklaters LLP.
Sandy Collins has been appointed to Financial Services Regulation Lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP from their previous role as Senior Professional Support Lawyer at A&O Shearman.
Insurance
Roger Davis has been promoted to Senior Knowledge Lawyer at Kennedys from their previous role as Knowledge Lawyer.
Litigation
Alexandra Holloway has been appointed to Senior Knowledge Lawyer (Real Estate Disputes) at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP from their previous role as Legal Counsel (Property) at Mobile Broadband Network Ltd (MBNL)).
Samantha Brendish has been appointed to Knowledge Lawyer at FromCounsel from their previous role as Senior Associate at Taylor Wessing LLP.
Brogan Cheshire has been promoted to Knowledge Lawyer at Osborne Clarke LLP from their previous role as Trainee Solicitor.
Daniel Stauton has been appointed to Knowledge Development Lawyer at Charles Russell Speechlys from their previous role as Senior Associate at Kingsley Napley.
Claire Kershaw has been appointed to Professional Support Lawyer at Shoosmiths from their previous role as Knowledge Lawyer at TLT LLP.
Nicola Mallen has been appointed to Senior Knowledge Lawyer at Ashfords LLP from their previous role as Head of the Professional Support Lawyer Team at HCR Law.
Alice O’Donovan has been appointed to Senior Knowledge Lawyer at Osborne Clake LLP from their previous role as Counsel at McGuireWoods LLP.
Elisabeth Mason has been appointed to Knowledge Lawyer- Commercial Dispute Resolution at Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP from their role as Senior Associate.
Multi-practice
Wings Turkington has been promoted to Head of Knowledge and Innovation at Edwin Coe LLP from their previous role at Head of Knowledge.
Clare Gray has been appointed to Knowledge Director at Knights PLC from their previous role as Global Knowledge Lawyer at EY.
Charlotte Dwight has been promoted to Senior PSL- Team Lead at Clarilis from their previous role as Senior Professional Support Lawyer.
Real Estate
Emma Jell has been appointed to Professional Support Lawyer at White & Case LLP from their previous role as Associate- Real Estate.
Julia Burgess has been appointed to Associate at Tozier LLP from their previous role as Senior Knowledge Lawyer at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.
Tracey Kennedy has been appointed to Commercial Property Professional Support Lawyer at Tees LLP from their previous role as Senior Associate (Knowledge) at Linklaters LLP.
Tax / Pensions
Andrew James has been appointed to Partner & Knowledge Lawyer at Knights PLC from their previous role as Partner at Buckles Law.
