"We've got everything you need to customize the life that you would want..." A real Choose-Your-Own-Adventure, recruiters at Lateral Link shed some light on Atlanta's bustling legal landscape.
You’ll frequently hear people raving about life in the big city but, often times, it’s not all it’s made out to be. Don’t get us wrong – we, too, enjoy romanticizing our morning coffees and city strolls, but there comes a time when your shoebox downtown apartment no longer cuts it, and you find yourself slightly repulsed by the thought of a $7 coffee. So, what then? Enter Atlanta, named the US’s second ‘most livable city,’ beaten only by Honolulu – according to The Economist. The index takes things like education, infrastructure, and culture into account, and when you dig deep into what Atlanta’s got to offer, it’s not hard to understand why the city ranks so highly. Whether it’s trekking up the North Georgia Mountains, enjoying the crystal-clear lakes dotted around the city, exploring the budding Michelin-star dining scene, or cheering on the Atlanta Braves, “We’ve got everything you need to customize the life that you would want, all while making an amazing living,” Natasha DiFiore and Marion Wilson at recruitment firm Lateral Link tell us. We recently caught up with the two Atlanta-based recruiters to learn more about new developments in the city and the state of the booming lateral market.
Introducing Atlanta
Wilson explains, “While attorneys relocate to Atlanta from all over, it’s common to see folks who were raised in the Southeast move back to Atlanta after practicing in major markets such as New York City or DC.” It’s a location that offers a more relaxed way of living – without sacrificing sophisticated clients and deals – and competitive salaries! (More on that a little later…) In fact, Georgia bags Area Development’s title of the top state for doing business for the eleventh (!) year running. “So many diverse industries are choosing Atlanta,” DiFiore explains, “including supply chain, advanced manufacturing, technology creative industries, clean tech, life sciences and healthcare, financial services, and fintech.” When you look at the numbers, just under 20 Fortune 500 companies call the state home, including UPS, The Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot, and Delta Air Lines; in fact, according to Select Georgia, the city ranks fourth for the highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies nationwide, and sits among the top 20 globally. What’s more, of the Fortune 1000 companies, more than 70% operate in Atlanta, demonstrating just how diverse the city’s economy is.
“The Atlanta legal market is bustling; it’s very hot right now."
As such, “the Atlanta legal market is bustling; it’s very hot right now,” Wilson headlines. This can be whittled down to a number of factors, including #1 the sheer volume of investments being made to grow the business scene; #2 the traffic flowing through the city (we’re not talking about road traffic – although that is a sound indication of a busy metro!), given that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta is statistically the busiest airport in the world; and #3 more bang for your buck – the biggest of BigLaw firms in Atlanta continue to match New York’s Cravath scale, and with Atlanta’s significantly lower cost of living, your money is guaranteed to go a whole lot further.
Following on from point #3, when it comes to the city’s legal scene, there’s certainly plenty to sink your teeth into. Atlanta has a respectable concentration of BigLaw firms, with over 30 of the top 100 firms operating in Atlanta. In fact, four of today’s top 100 law firms were founded in the city: King & Spalding; Alston & Bird; Troutman Pepper Locke; and Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. Of the top 200 firms, there are a further six headquartered in the city – Morris, Manning & Martin; Fisher Phillips; Smith, Gambrell & Russell; Arnall Golden & Gregory; FisherBroyles; and Freeman Mathis & Gary – and since 2023, three firms have chosen Atlanta as a key spot to set up shop: Bradley Arant; Clark Hill; and Buchalter.
Atlanta mergers
2024 was a big year for law firm merger announcements, and Atlanta’s certainly not missed out on “merger fever,” as Wilson puts it, as firms continue to deepen their benches in the Southeast, enhancing their market presence and service offerings. “It’s been in effect since 2023,” Wilson explains of the ‘fever’, “and we’re not seeing any signs of it stopping.”
The city has seen a handful of mergers as of late, including the likes of Smith, Gambrell & Russell’s acquisition of Chicago-based Freeborn & Peters, and Maynard Cooper and Nexsen Pruett combining to form Maynard Nexsen – a move that will cement the new entity firmly within the top 100. Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton also acquired Horwood Marcus & Berk Chartered, significantly expanding its Chicago presence and M&A and private equity offering. And just a stone’s throw away from Atlanta, Holland & Knight’s merger with Nashville-based Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis makes it one of Tennessee’s biggest law firms.
Looking ahead, “for 2025, we already have four more mergers going into effect in Q1,” involving firms with Atlanta offices, Wilson details. “This is one of the reasons we think merger fever isn’t taking any Tylenol in 2025!” he laughs. Indeed, as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, Troutman Pepper and Locke Lord merged to form Troutman Pepper Locke. Notable mentions also include Ballard Spahr and Lane Powell, and Womble Bond Dickinson and Lewis Roca, both of whom merged on January 1, 2025, as well as Ogletree Deakin and Baltimore-based labor & employment boutique Shawe Rosenthal, who are set to join forces later in Q1.
Atlanta hiring
Atlanta continues to house a robust lateral market. The graph below displays some of the city’s hottest practice areas across the years.
*data as of Dec 18, 2024, provided by Lateral Link
In 2024 alone, over 400 lateral moves took place in Atlanta, with just over half at the associate level, just under a quarter at the partner level, and just under a fifth at the counsel level. Although the total number of lateral placements made in 2024 remains lower than those made in 2021 and in 2022, the number shows a healthy increase from 2023 confirming that the market isn’t seeing a downturn.
Last year, litigation saw the lion’s share of lateral placements in the city, with corporate, labor & employment, real estate, and IP rounding out the top five practices seeing the most activity – a year-on-year trend. “Going back to 2014, litigation has always been the busiest practice area,” Wilson notes, “It just depends on the year as to which ones rank second, third, fourth, and fifth.” On the flip side, practices like trusts & estates, environment, energy, and government have seen little to no movement in the city.
Soaring salaries
While Atlanta may have historically fallen behind with compensation, 2021 saw the city turn a new leaf with many firms making the change to match NY market; subsequent raises have been matched by around ten of the top 200 firms with a presence in Atlanta, while around 15 have a modified version of the salary scale. Wilson explains the modified scales mean “the firm starts somewhere between $215,000 to $225,000, with incremental increases. There may also be more compression towards the senior associate end,” he adds. Nevertheless, salaries remain a big pull factor in Atlanta; thanks to the city’s reasonable cost of living, “you can do a lot more with the money…”
Atlanta living
Say goodbye to your shoebox apartment and hello to a house (with a yard!). According to Nerd Wallet’s Cost of Living Calculator, Atlanta’s cost of living is 57% lower than Manhattan, 42% lower than San Francisco, 34% lower than Boston, 33% lower than DC, and 14% lower than Chicago. What this means in practice is a salary of $225,000 in Atlanta equates to a whopping $523,000 in Manhattan.
But there’s more to life than money…
As one of the fastest-growing metros in the country, Atlanta is “an extremely livable cosmopolitan city. It has a big city pace, but with that Southern hospitality, friendliness, and warmth,” Wilson details. It’s also a well-known fact that there is no majority racial group in the city, and it’s one of the top ten metro areas with the largest LGBTQ+ population.
“It's an extremely livable cosmopolitan city. It has a big city pace, but with that Southern hospitality, friendliness, and warmth."
Atlanta also strikes a unique balance with its landscape. Affectionately known as a ‘city in the forest,’ the metro boasts an abundance of trails and green space, including the iconic Atlanta Beltline. “You’ve got so many opportunities to be outdoors and feel like you’re in nature,” DiFiore enthuses. Moreover, there’s the weather to enjoy it, too. “You might need to adjust to a little pollen,” Wilson laughs, “and it gets a little hot in the summer, but that’s expected of anywhere in the sunbelt. Typically, we also get all four seasons!”
Adding to the city’s already vibrant entertainment scene, Atlanta also features heavily in the latest Michelin Guide. The city boasts over 50 Michelin-recognized restaurants “which says a lot about our food scene!” DiFiore highlights. There’s also plenty to do outside of dining, whether it’s concerts, shows, or sporting events. And thanks to its flourishing film scene, Georgia has also been dubbed ‘the Hollywood of the South.’
More on the sporting scene, “Atlanta is the ultimate host city for sports,” DiFiore underlines. The city is home to a handful of pro sports teams and regularly hosts major sporting events; notable mentions go out to the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball, the 2025 College Football National Championship, the 2028 Super Bowl, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
As well as being home to the world’s busiest airport, Atlanta’s geographic location means “more than 80% of US metros are within a two-hour flight,” Wilson notes – perfect for a quick weekend trip away. Need we say more?
Approaching Atlanta
The cherry on top for attorneys considering the move is the fact that the state of Georgia provides bar reciprocity; you may be admitted to practice on Motion if you fulfill certain criteria.
So, when’s the best time to start looking? “Historically, Q1 and Q2 are the busiest times for lateral moves, but I place attorneys all year long,” Wilson explains. “Part of the concern we hear is ‘I don’t want to start making a move until I’ve received my bonus,’” with attorneys often preferring to hold off until these have come through. Wilson reassures that it’s usually possible to “negotiate a later start date after receiving your bonus,” or on the flip side, “if needing to start earlier, negotiate a make-whole, or at least a partial make-whole, bonus to compensate.” Ultimately, Wilson’s takeaway advice is, “If you see an opening that is potentially a good fit, you want to strike while the iron is hot and not worry about whether or not it’s the perfect time.”
“If you see an opening that is potentially a good fit, you want to strike while the iron is hot..."
As mentioned earlier, Atlanta tends to attract attorneys who have done their share of time in the New York and DC markets and are looking for something more sustainable long-term. While lateral hiring is steadily returning to the pre-pandemic ‘norm’ of associates in that two-to-six-year range, Wilson notes that “since the pandemic, firms are being a little more open-minded and may consider folks who are more senior.” Alongside class year and credentials, Wilson notes that coming from “a top firm in those markets, or an elite litigation boutique, for example,” will boost your case. In the transactional space in particular, “folks at larger firms who have worked on larger deals” certainly stand out.
Providing further advice, DiFiore reflects, “As a lateral candidate, you’re busy working to do a great job for the partners and focused on hitting your billables – having your head down, you might not know what opportunities are out there but it’s important to be thinking about your long-term future even in the short term.” This is where a good recruiter can play a key role. “We might need 20 to 25 minutes of your time to get an idea of your practice and the firms you’re interested in, but once that call is over, it’s ‘set it and forget it’!” Wilson adds, “We set up the alerts and monitor the market for you, so you never miss a job.”
That said, a recruiter’s job doesn’t end at alerting you of open positions. “It’s not just about emailing an internal recruiter; it’s about knowing the partners at these firms and what they do, who they’re looking for, and being able to make the right match,” DiFiore emphasizes. “Marion and I have contacts throughout the Southeast, and our colleagues have market knowledge and contacts across the country. We’re able to work together to get candidates where they want to be.”
