2026 Carolinas Lateral Market Highlights - Q1/Q2 2026

2026 has been a very strong year for lateral hiring in North and South Carolina, with the Carolinas outperforming the national lateral hiring numbers across almost all metrics. While finance continues to be the hottest practice for lateral hiring and open roles (especially at market-paying firms), we’ve also seen strong numbers in labor and employment, tax, employee benefits, construction and financial services litigation, bankruptcy and real estate.

CAROLINAS LATERAL MARKET BY THE NUMBERS:

• 57 AmLaw firms with an office in the Carolinas

• 20+ firms offering market salaries through at least year three in their Carolinas offices

• 58% increase in lateral hiring by AmLaw firms in the Carolinas year over year across all practices

• 147% increase in inbound lateral banking and finance lateral moves

• 200+ roles currently open in the Carolinas offices of AmLaw firms

NEWSWORTHY 2026 LATERAL ACTIVITY:

• Paul Hastings opened a Charlotte office, with partners and associates from Haynes Boone, Cadwalader, and Mayer Brown.

• Sidley Austin began officially operating in Charlotte with the addition of several Cadwalader Fund Finance associates but has yet to announce a formal Charlotte location.

• Dentons raided K&L Gates to open a Charleston office that is currently up to 19 attorneys across several practices.

• The Hogan Lovells Cadwalader merger became official on July 1, creating what is projected to be an AmLaw 10 firm through the largest law firm merger in history.

• Barnes & Thornburg's Raleigh office added 12 lateral attorneys from K&L Gates to bolster the firm's healthcare practice.

PROJECTIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2026:

• We could see one or two more AmLaw 50 office openings (looking at you, Sidley, for an official announcement), but nothing like the flurry in late 2025/early 2026. 

• Barring a nationwide market shift, Charlotte-based banking and finance hiring should remain extremely active across all specialties (with signing bonuses on the table).

• General commercial and white collar litigation are likely to remain stagnant, with extremely limited opportunities at market-paying firms.

• Firms previously at market (currently starting associates at $225K) will eventually raise salaries when we reach a national tipping point.

CAROLINAS MARKET COMPARISON:

Almost all of the AmLaw firms in the Carolinas are located in Charlotte, Raleigh, Charleston, or the Triad, with more limited options in Greenville, Columbia, and Wilmington.

• Charlotte – As the nation’s second-largest financial center, finance roles dominate the Charlotte market and have forced salaries at many firms up to market rate. Market-paying roles are available outside of finance, but are more limited and are significantly more competitive to secure.

  
  

• Raleigh – A more diverse legal market in terms of firm size, lateral activity across practices, and compensation, market-paying roles in Raleigh are fairly rare, and elite regional firms often attract the top talent. Raleigh-based clients are often in the tech or life sciences spaces but have full-service legal needs.

  
  

• Charleston – Consistently ranked among the best places to live nationally and with a tourism-based economy, Charleston hiring is often centered around real estate and hospitality roles. Salaries have not reached market, but lifestyle tends to be prioritized here, even at national AmLaw firms.

  
  

• Triad (Greensboro/Winston-Salem) – A bit of a sleeper market with 10 AmLaw firms, the Triad offers affordability and a slower pace of life attractive to laterals seeking to exit the rat race but maintain a high-level practice.

REGIONAL FIRM SPOTLIGHT:

Although the Carolinas have fewer high-end specialty boutiques than most major markets, we have a number of elite, full-service Carolinas-headquartered firms that should be on the radar of laterals interested in maintaining sophisticated practices while representing more local and regional clients. These firms typically offer rate flexibility, attainable equity partnership prospects, and more reasonable work/life balance.

• Smith Anderson (Raleigh only)

• Wyrick Robbins (Raleigh only) 

• Parker Poe (Charlotte, Charleston, Columbia, Greenville/Spartanburg, Raleigh) 

• Moore & Van Allen (Charlotte and Charleston only) 

• Robinson Bradshaw (Charlotte and Raleigh only) 

• Brooks Pierce (Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh)

If you're interested in discussing the Carolinas lateral market generally or would like to schedule a confidential call to discuss specific options, please contact Sarah Breen or Clay Costner.