Lateral partner hiring at elite firms in the first three quarters of 2024 just hit its highest level in three years, at least in four major geographic markets, according to a report by recruiting firm Macrae.

The 557 lateral partner moves in Am Law 50 firms and the Magic Circle through September are just shy of the 604 figure that was reported in the same interval in 2021, and higher than 2019, 2022 and 2023, the report states. In its analysis, Macrae looked at lateral hiring trends in London, New York, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C.