by meridith dennes | Jul 28, 2026 | Lateral Recruiting, Layoffs
In investment banking, almost nobody leaves a seat cleanly. There’s a reorg, a desk gets consolidated, a staffing model changes, a relationship sours, or performance falls short of an increasingly moving bar. Whatever actually happened, what matters to the next... 
by meridith dennes | Jul 14, 2026 | Interviewing, Lateral Recruiting
If you spend any time in the investment banking lateral market, you’ll notice that nearly every mandate reads the same way: “must have 3+ closed M&A deals,” “demonstrated public-to-public execution required,” “sponsor-backed... 
by meridith dennes | May 30, 2026 | Lateral Recruiting
Investment banking’s summer lateral slowdown has been as dependable as the bonus cycle itself. In 2026 it isn’t arriving on schedule — and an unbroken summer is already changing what shows up in offers. Every recruiter who has spent enough time in... 
by meridith dennes | May 14, 2026 | Interviewing, Lateral Recruiting, Networking
The following reflects current conditions in the investment banking lateral market as observed through active search mandates, candidate conversations, and offer negotiations across bulge bracket, elite boutique, and middle market platforms. This update covers the AS1... 
by meridith dennes | May 5, 2026 | Interviewing, Lateral Recruiting, Summer Internships
Investment banks are having a good run. Revenues are strong, bonuses are up, and deal flow is recovering. Junior bankers’ benefits have been stripped back anyway — and the conditions that might once have forced their return look structurally weaker than before.... 
by meridith dennes | Apr 28, 2026 | Lateral Recruiting
The headlines this winter looked like good news for anyone waiting on a promotion. Goldman Sachs named 638 new managing directors in November — the biggest class since 2021. JPMorgan promoted 227 in its commercial and investment bank in April 2025, the largest CIB...