The COVID-19 pandemic placed a damper on lateral movement in 2020 for the Atlanta legal market, but there was still plenty of activity, as Am Law 100 firm McDermott Will & Emery opened an office and one of the city’s largest firms, Troutman Sanders, consummated its merger with Philadelphia’s Pepper Hamilton.

Lateral partner hires picked back up in the fall after a lull from the pandemic’s onset in March, and white-collar defense practitioners were in demand throughout the year.