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Global Competition Review’s review of lateral partner movement showed Baker McKenzie outpacing all other leading competition practices in antitrust hiring across the 10-year span, with the firm also recording the highest number of such hires so far this year. The analysis identified Dentons as the second-ranked firm with roughly one-third the total of Baker McKenzie, underscoring a significant gap in recruitment activity. GCR’s findings come as competition practices across the industry continue to expand amid rising regulatory scrutiny in major markets, a trend the publication has tracked in successive annual assessments.
The report highlighted Baker McKenzie’s net partner growth as the strongest among those surveyed, a result that combines lateral recruitment with internal promotions and retention efforts. Creighton Macy, the firm’s global head of antitrust and competition, told GCR that the practice takes pride in its expansion through both external hires from government and private practice and development of existing talent. He added that the group’s momentum has included an approximately fivefold increase in its U.S. competition team in recent years, reflecting sustained annual growth.
Baker McKenzie described its antitrust and competition practice as one of the largest globally, with more than 365 practitioners operating from 70 offices in 43 countries. The team advises on the full range of matters, from merger clearances and agency investigations to antitrust litigation, criminal enforcement and compliance programs. Previous GCR rankings have placed the firm among the Global Elite for multiple years, including a fourth-place position in the 2026 edition released late last year.
Industry data from other GCR surveys indicate that antitrust practices have seen heightened demand as regulators in the United States, European Union and other jurisdictions intensify reviews of high-value deals and conduct cases. Baker McKenzie’s recruitment pace aligns with this environment, positioning the firm to handle complex cross-border work that often requires coordinated teams across multiple time zones and legal systems. The firm’s 2026 partner promotions, announced in June, further bolstered its antitrust bench with several new elevations in key offices.
The GCR analysis arrives at a time when lateral hiring remains a primary growth lever for elite law firms seeking specialized regulatory expertise. Baker McKenzie’s decade-long total of 105 antitrust partner additions stands out against broader market patterns in which many competitors have focused on smaller, targeted hires rather than large-scale expansion. No other firm approached Baker McKenzie’s volume according to the review, which examined leading global competition practices.
Macy’s comments to GCR emphasized the balanced approach of external recruitment and internal advancement as central to the practice’s development. The firm’s continued investment has enabled it to maintain recognition across cartel defense, non-cartel work and global mergers in successive GCR evaluations. Such rankings reflect not only headcount but also the depth of experience assembled through these hiring and promotion cycles.
