London Calling: US law firms and the London legal market
Simon Christian & George Wooff, December 2025
Madonna had her ‘English country house’ era, Taylor Swift dated her London Boy(s), Snoop Dogg and Katy Perry are on seemingly every ad break on British TV, and we still can’t get rid of will.i.am… The link between the UK and US music scenes is a strong one and, more than ever, the same is true of the legal market. US law firms have embraced the Special Relationship between the two nations and are aggressively hiring partners in their London offices.
London is a global hub for private equity funds, international financial institutions, and energy majors, and these clients’ worldwide deals need internationally minded legal advisers. In response to clients’ demands, legal search firm Lateral Link recently set up a London desk staffed by their US-based principals, aiming to help Stateside firms recruit UK-qualified lawyers for their London offices and relocate US lawyers from the Big Apple to the Big Smoke.
“Despite predictions of work leaving London for Paris, Dublin or Amsterdam post-Brexit, that did not happen. London is still the financial center of Europe.”
“US firms are now very active in the London market, especially around private capital, and that has created demand for recruiters who are close with US firms’ management and are aware of their London and global strategy,” says Evan Jowers, principal at Lateral Link. “Law firms follow where the work is,” adds Abby Gordon, principal at Lateral Link; “despite predictions of work leaving London for Paris, Dublin or Amsterdam post-Brexit, that did not happen. London is still the financial center of Europe.”
So, if you've ever thought of swapping Manhattan for Mayfair, Central Park for Hyde Park and the Upper West Side for Westminster, read on.
The Man Who Sold the World
Cross-border private equity and M&A is what’s making London such a hot market for US firms, and gaining a foothold in this key global financial center is Nirvana for US BigLaw firms looking to support their private equity clients around the world.
Gloria Sandrino, managing principal and co-chair of the partner practice of Lateral Link, says it is “the globalization of private equity” that has made the difference: “It's not just PE firms like Apollo doing deals here in the US; it's Apollo doing deals here with pieces in London and other pieces in Dubai. Connecting those dots has been amazing.”
“London is a hub for global capital and cross-border deal making,” says Ata Farhadi, a principal in the partner practice group at Lateral Link. “More and more, firms want cross-border lawyers with exposure to US deal frameworks so that they can assist with US related investments originating out of or into various countries around the globe," he adds; "I'm also seeing a strategic focus from private equity firms and other companies on investments in Europe, motivating US law firms to further build capacity in London to handle that work.”
London lawyers’ regular exposure to these sorts of cross-border transactions makes them a particularly attractive choice for US firms looking to broaden their dealmaking horizons. “Many London candidates work across Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East,” says Farhadi. “The hire in London tends to be a more global partner,” adds Sandrino; “they're very comfortable with cross-border deals and with clients all over the world.”
Rock Down to Electric Avenue
The market is hottest in transactional practice areas: private equity in particular, but public company M&A work, energy deals and private credit, too.
International law firms are especially eager to bring on partners who are qualified in multiple jurisdictions, the UK and NY for example. Gordon explains that partners can more easily work across borders in these “jurisdiction-less” transactional practices. “You're signing agreements under UK law, New York law, whatever it may be, but those types of work are more fungible,” she adds; “energy deals, finance, M&A… they’re much the same whether you're in the US, London or the Middle East; you tack on the choice of law at the end. Lawyers are more fungible in that sense and more likely to work on cross-border matters.”
Gordon also highlights the “huge emphasis” on the energy transition as a crucial source of deal work for law firms in London, who remain busy advising energy companies both on traditional fossil fuel extraction and on renewable energy technologies. “Markets like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are growing,” Gordon adds, “but a lot of that work is still done out of London.”
What about litigation? “Some small US firms opening London offices are hiring for litigation and white-collar,” says Farhadi. But while disputes work is a hot market for UK-centric firms and boutique litigation shops, Lateral Link’s recruiters say the US BigLaw giants are less interested in hiring US litigation associates into their London offices. “Litigation has been busy in the UK and the US, but litigation is very jurisdiction-specific, so you're not going to be recruiting US associates to come to London to do litigation,” says Gordon.
"As an associate, transferring internally remains the easiest way to move to London. Once you have experience working in London, it’s then much easier to move to your next London firm.”
The Lateral Link team says recruitment for partner-level lawyers is their current focus in London, with associate recruitment lagging behind. Gordon explains, “the demand for associates in London remains very heavily weighted towards capital markets associates, as you need US associates in London who understand SEC regulations. As an associate, transferring internally remains the easiest way to move to London. Once you have experience working in London, it’s then much easier to move to your next London firm.”
She goes on to say, “In my early days recruiting, I frequently helped US capital markets associates move to London. But in the last seven or eight years, it's been very tough to move US associates, counsel, and anyone without a book of business to Europe now that people can work remotely.”
Farhadi explains that, while “generally there’s been a downturn in associate hiring in recent years, with firms placing more emphasis on partners who bring business, the interest in associates and junior partners who are key to major relationships at their current firm remains high. Law firms continue to fight for as much competitive advantage as possible and seek to augment their partner hiring with investments in future ‘stars’. Private equity and finance are two hot areas of hiring in which this pattern is most common.” He goes on to add that “in these areas, senior associates and counsels may be judged on both skill and who they know, in a manner similar to junior partners.”
Gordon notes that “now that partner recruiting has heated up in London, we hope the associate market will heat up too, especially where partners working out of London want a team of US-qualified associates to support them.”
Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)
How then do candidates go about securing their move from Wall Street to the West End? The key item any transatlantic lawyer must have in their carry-on is a reliable book of business, as Gordon elaborates: “A lot of the matchmaking is about portable business and relationships – not just technically who your clients are or what origination credit you're getting, but who has the relationships. Who is the client calling when a new deal launches?”
From Sandrino’s perspective, it’s all about ‘portability’: “the new thing, which I've only been hearing in the last two years and more in London, is ‘what is the partner's portable access’.” Simply put, it’s not just about which clients a candidate has worked with; what firms crave most are candidates who will bring clients with them and earn their keep from day one.
“...you need to know the ‘why’ of the firm.”
Lateral Link also recommends candidates consider how their book of business fits in with a prospective firm’s strategy. “The more you think of it from a hirer's perspective, the better you'll likely be in the end,” explains Farhadi: “you need to know the ‘why’ of the firm.” This is echoed by senior director, Yuliya Vinokurova: “Recruiters and firms want substantive personal and career reasons for a US associate to move to a specific overseas market; moving for only career reasons or an interest in living abroad will not be convincing unless you’re exceptional.”
Farhadi’s advice to candidates is: “know the clients the firm has, know the work that the firm is trying to do, know where they're looking to really expand and grow, and what skills they need for that.”
Doing so may require some creative thinking. Sandrino encourages candidates to think about the different ways in which their work fits into the firm’s bigger picture: “If you're a corporate lawyer, are there cross-selling opportunities to get the litigation work for your client? Or the infrastructure work for your clients? Is there an ability to get work from your clients in other countries where the firm now has offices?”
Finally, for all the talk of strategy, candidates shouldn’t overlook the value of good old-fashioned charm. “Being bright and energetic and enthusiastic always sets people apart,” says Farhadi; “avoiding deadpan interviews, no matter how wonderful your resume is, is non-negotiable.”
Culture Club
When planning a move across the pond, Lateral Link encourages candidates to think about fitting into a different working culture, and that doesn’t just include learning to enjoy a post-work pint on the pavement, calling potato chips ‘crisps’ and memorizing how to get from Liverpool Street to Piccadilly without having to change trains at Oxford Circus. “Even though London doesn’t have the language barrier for US associates that many overseas markets do, working in London can be just as demanding as in New York,” says Jowers.
Firms ask themselves, “Is this someone who can handle the different kind of pace?” Jowers continues. Junior lawyers in particular might find themselves facing new challenges: “Sometimes there's more responsibility in a smaller overseas office of a US firm, where there may not be as much structure. There could be more face time with clients. You're routinely dealing with different country and regional cultures on deals.”
Those who can demonstrate an international outlook have a distinct advantage in the hiring process, as Sandrino explains: “I like working with a London attorney knowing that they have worked on deals with Asia, Dubai, Germany… that is what the firms are looking for.”
For all the differences between the US and UK, one stereotype that ought to be retired is the notion that working for a UK firm is easier than working for a US firm, cautions Vinokurova: “London can be just as busy, depending on the firm and practice. It used to be that everybody said US firms are more time consuming and UK firms gave more personal space, and had more work-life balance, but nowadays US associates are moving to London for personal reasons, while expecting demanding work environments; I don't think people are moving to London for lifestyle, per se.”
The latest Chambers Talent Research report into the UK market found that associates at US firms in the City reported working an average of 46.2 per week, nearly identical to 46.7 hours reported by their counterparts at London’s international firms.
It’s a game of give-and-take
Motown legends the Supremes (and later, born-and-bred Londoner Phil Collins) once sang that ‘you can’t hurry love.’ And so it is with lawyers looking to advance their transatlantic careers. “Build a true relationship with your recruiter,” says Gordon, adding: “We encourage partners, counsel, associates at every level to start a relationship with a recruiter early, even if you're not actively looking to move. Get to know and trust that person; recruiters are a free resource for market insights.”
"...use the recruiter's access and probe for those insider details.”
When you work with a recruiter, “you want to get information you can't Google,” says Sandrino, “Be smart: ask how the recruiter knows the firm, who they deal with, have they met partners, partner compensation formulas, origination credit formulas, the road from non-equity to equity, the road from associate to partner… those are things we deal with every day. A red flag is when a recruiter just gives vague information that's publicly available. You don't pay their fee, the firm does, so use the recruiter's access and probe for those insider details.”
For partner hires, what matters most of all is understanding a firm’s compensation formula and how it rewards partners who bring in new work and clients. “Origination credit formulae are crucial,” says Sandrino, “How the firm handles origination credits affects your compensation, and therefore culture. You can bring in millions in revenue and make very little if the comp and credit systems don't reward you properly. That's where a recruiter adds value.”
Any other red flags? “Avoid purely transactional recruiters who just forward resumes without advocacy,” says Farhadi. “Work with a recruiter who will act as your advocate, give candid feedback, and invest time in preparing your materials and pitching you to firms. Who the recruiter knows and is in a position to talk to can make all the difference in the quality of your candidacy. Ask your recruiter how he or she plans on communicating your candidacy to the firm and how they intend to advocate on your behalf. This is likely more important the more senior you become.”
Fairytale of New York
What about the London lawyers with a New York state of mind? Or, indeed, those who want to ‘hop a flight to Miami Beach or Hollywood’? Unfortunately, the Lateral Link team says it’s much harder to secure a transatlantic move flying West instead of East.
“Moving to the US is more complicated because of immigration,” says Gordon; “The US system isn't as straightforward as the UK or EU. Firms can usually figure out sponsorship at the partner level, but most firms will not sponsor lateral associates for visas.”
“Beyond immigration, you need a business case,” says Gordon, “Your book of business must benefit from the move. It can't just be ‘I've always wanted to live in New York.’ If moving would cause you to lose half your book, it's unlikely to be attractive to you or a firm. But if there's a clear business reason, for example, your clients have US operations and want you on the ground, then it may be feasible.”
