Lateral partner hirings in the San Francisco Bay Area at Am Law 50 firms throughout the first half of 2024 were down 27% compared to the same period last year, according to new data from legal recruiting firm Macrae.

A total of 27 lateral partners were hired at Am Law 50 firms in the San Francisco Bay Area throughout the first six months of this year, down from 37 in 2023. The overall decline is expected to turn around in the second half of this year, said Julieta Stubrin, managing partner of Macrae’s San Francisco office.