Sidley Austin’s addition of two Kirkland & Ellis partners this week is on top of more than two-dozen other lateral partner hires this year. The Am Law 10 firm is betting on lateral hiring in 2021, especially in corporate practices in its current offices, with the firm leaders saying they expect to bring on more partners this year than in previous years.

But the lateral growth strategy doesn’t come without challenges and other issues, they acknowledged in recent interviews, including pulling away busy talent from their current firms and keeping up with ever-increasing partner pay trends.