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BCG Attorney Search has released its updated BigLaw Lateral Salary Guide, providing attorneys with detailed insights into how compensation varies by practice area, career stage, and geography. The findings confirm that specialization and timing are crucial factors in determining pay increases for lateral hires.
Learn more from this report: BigLaw Lateral Salary Guide: Compensation Increases by Practice Area
💼 Practice Areas Driving the Highest Increases
The report shows that corporate attorneys, particularly those in M&A and private equity, receive the most substantial lateral compensation boosts. Salary increases in these practices often range from 15% to 20%, and in high-demand situations, some attorneys see premiums of up to 25% to 30%.
Intellectual property attorneys, especially those with technical backgrounds in life sciences or engineering, follow closely behind. These positions regularly command 14% to 18% increases.
Other areas, such as tax, regulatory law, and real estate, show moderate but consistent growth, with increases between 10% and 16%, depending on the specialization. Meanwhile, litigation and labor & employment attorneys often experience smaller boosts, typically in the 7% to 12% range, unless they work in highly specialized subfields like securities or white-collar defense.
⏱ Timing is Everything
BCG’s guide stresses that attorneys benefit most when they move at the right career stage. For corporate associates, the third or fourth year is often the ideal time to maximize a lateral jump. Litigation attorneys, on the other hand, tend to secure better offers around years four to five, once they’ve developed meaningful courtroom and drafting experience.
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Specialized practices, including tax and regulatory work, often reward attorneys later, with optimal moves closer to the five- to six-year mark, when deeper expertise adds leverage.
The report also warns that attorneys making multiple lateral moves in short succession may see diminishing returns. Second moves typically yield 25% less in salary growth unless spaced out by several years.
📍 Geography and Firm Type
Geography remains a defining factor in compensation. Attorneys in major hubs like New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Chicago often secure premiums of 20% to 35% compared to peers in regional markets. Corporate practices tend to show less variation across cities, but regulatory and niche practices are heavily location-dependent.
Firm size and type also influence pay. AmLaw 50 firms generally offer higher base salaries with more predictable compensation structures. Boutiques, however, can compete by offering performance-driven bonuses or matching top-tier salaries in select high-demand specialties.
🧩 Strategic Takeaways
For attorneys eyeing a lateral move, the BigLaw Lateral Salary Guide offers three critical lessons:
- Timing matters — maximize opportunities by moving at the right stage in your career.
- Specialization pays — niche expertise can deliver higher premiums.
- Location counts — weigh salary boosts against cost of living and long-term career goals.
BCG’s guide is a reminder that in today’s market, lateral mobility can be a powerful tool for attorneys seeking greater compensation, but strategy makes all the difference.
Learn more from this report: BigLaw Lateral Salary Guide: Compensation Increases by Practice Area
