The largest firms in the largest cities have been “picking their heads up” again on the lateral market, and they’re seeing opportunities in corporate, finance, white-collar and investment management and funds work.

Each of those practice areas saw a significant increase of lateral moves during the first half of this year relative to last, according to industry data published this week by legal recruiting firm Macrae, with large group acquisitions, an election-year flood of government lawyers, and expected interest-rate cuts among some of the variables, recruiters and industry observers say.