U.S.-headquartered law firms in London hired nearly twice as many partners from other U.S. law firms as they did from their U.K. competitors in 2019, Legal Week analysis of lateral hire data has found.

In total, nearly 30% of all lateral partner hires in London involved U.S partners defecting to other U.S rivals.

Key examples included mass partner moves from Squire Patton Boggs to Crowell & Moring while Akin Gump also hired a raft of partners from fellow U.S. firms Weil Gotshal & Manges, White & Case, O'Melveny & Myers and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.