Two-Tier Prospect Feed — Validated with Live Legal Market Data
A Data-Driven Outbound Workflow for Trellis
A two-tier signal system that monitors law firm expansion activity and surfaces litigation teams most likely to need state court analytics — from high-urgency new jurisdiction entries to broader growth signals.
20–35
Qualified Targets per Month
15–27
Tier 2: Growth Signal
The System
Two Tiers of Expansion Intelligence
Not every expansion signal carries the same urgency. We separate them into two tiers so your team knows exactly how to prioritize outreach.
Tier 1
The Blind Entry
Firms entering a state jurisdiction for the first time. Zero local court knowledge. They need judge analytics, opposing counsel data, and filing intelligence immediately.
5–8
litigation-relevant signals per month
- New office in a new state 2–3/mo
- Merger bringing new jurisdictions 2–3/mo
- Team move launching new-state presence 1–2/mo
Tier 2
The Growth Signal
Firms expanding litigation capacity in existing jurisdictions. More litigators means more cases, more courts, more need for analytics at scale.
15–27
litigation-relevant signals per month
- Lateral litigation partner hires 6–10/mo
- Office expansions / relocations 5–8/mo
- Litigation practice group launches 3–5/mo
- Same-state mergers + team moves 2–4/mo
Data Sources
Firm Prospects (3,009 partner hires/yr)
Fairfax Associates (59 mergers in 2025)
Pirical (600+ lateral moves/yr)
Cushman & Wakefield (leasing data)
Bloomberg Law
Law.com / ALM
Above the Law
Firm press releases
Tier 1 — Validated Workflow
The “Blind Entry”
Litigation teams entering unfamiliar state court jurisdictions. They have an immediate, structural need for local judge analytics, opposing counsel data, and filing intelligence.
How It Works
1
Monitor New-Jurisdiction Signals
Track law firm press releases, legal trade publications, lateral hiring databases, and merger announcements for firms establishing litigation capabilities in states where they had no prior presence.
2
Filter for Litigation Relevance
Exclude non-litigation expansions (pure corporate, real estate, tax offices). Prioritize firms adding trial, complex litigation, product liability, mass tort, employment, or IP litigation capabilities.
3
Enrich with Decision-Maker Contacts
Identify the new office's Managing Partner, incoming litigation partners, and the firm's Director of Business Development or Chief Marketing Officer. Verify email addresses and direct phone numbers.
4
Deliver Timed Outreach Cards
Package each opportunity as an outreach-ready lead card with firm name, new jurisdiction, practice areas, partner names, announcement date, and a jurisdiction-specific talking point about the local court system.
Live Validation Score: 24/25
Tier 1 — Verified Opportunities
This Month's Hot Leads
Real law firms that entered new state court jurisdictions in January–February 2026. Each represents a litigation team that needs local court intelligence right now.
Largest Team Move
Signal
Opened Seattle office with 15 litigation partners. First presence in Washington state.
Practice Areas
Trial, complex litigation, product liability and mass tort, consumer class actions, cross-border disputes, technology and AI
Key Partners
David Perez (business litigation lead), Brendan Murphy, Zachary Davison, Laura Hill, Megan Houlihan, plus 10 additional partners
Deal Potential
15 litigators entering WA state courts with zero local judicial history data
Signal
Opened Nashville office with 4+ litigation partners. First TN office for the largest US firm by revenue.
Practice Areas
Complex commercial disputes, class actions, product liability, mass tort (pharmaceutical and healthcare)
Key Partners
Tara Blake, Matt Parker Smith, Paul Rosenblatt, Travis Swearingen
Deal Potential
Mass tort and product liability team generating high-volume TN state court filings
Signal
Opening Houston office. First major Texas presence for a top-10 US firm by revenue.
Practice Areas
Digital infrastructure, energy litigation, corporate disputes. Multiple attorneys obtaining TX bar admission.
Key Partners
Patrick Lingwall (hired from Kirkland & Ellis)
Date
January 2026 (temporary space in Texas Tower; permanent planned)
Deal Potential
Texas state courts are notoriously variable by county. Energy clients face significant state court litigation exposure across Harris, Dallas, and other TX counties.
Signal
Opened 20th office in Boston. First New England presence for this Texas-headquartered firm.
Practice Areas
Complex business litigation, investment management regulatory, asset securitization
Key Partners
Richard Kerr (Office Managing Partner), Daniel Rosenfeld (complex business litigation), Donela Qirjazi, Lauren Coppola
Date
January 12, 2026 (temporary space; permanent April 2026)
Deal Potential
Texas firm entering MA for the first time. Rosenfeld handles shareholder disputes, securities litigation, employment disputes in state courts.
Tier 2 — The Growth Signal
Expansion Without the Blind Spot
Tier 2 captures firms growing their litigation capacity in jurisdictions where they already operate. More litigators means more cases, more courtrooms, and more demand for analytics at scale. These firms may not be blind, but they're actively investing in litigation growth.
How It Works
1
Track Lateral Litigation Hires
Monitor Firm Prospects and Pirical for litigation partner hires at Am Law 200 firms. 3,009 partner moves in 2025 alone, 26% litigation-focused. Filter for firms adding 2+ litigators in the same jurisdiction within a quarter.
2
Monitor Office Expansions & Relocations
Track Cushman & Wakefield leasing data and firm announcements for litigation-heavy offices expanding square footage. 36% of all law firm leases in 2025 were expansions — the highest share in five years.
3
Flag Practice Group Launches
Identify firms launching new litigation subspecialties (mass torts, AI litigation, PFAS, privacy enforcement). These teams are building new caseloads from scratch and need court analytics for case types they haven't handled before.
4
Score & Prioritize
Rank Tier 2 signals by litigation intensity: number of new litigators, practice area (mass tort and product liability rank highest), and whether the firm is a current Trellis customer. Deliver as a weekly prioritized list alongside Tier 1 leads.
What Tier 2 Signals Look Like
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP — San Francisco, CA
Opened San Francisco office (expanding from existing Palo Alto presence). Added IP litigation partner Jeff Nardinelli, targeting AI, cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, and life sciences disputes.
Why Tier 2: Simpson Thacher already has California presence (Palo Alto since 1999), so they're not blind in CA courts. But the IP litigation expansion into SF courts targets a rapidly growing docket with limited judicial precedent data. More litigators in a new practice area = more analytics demand.
Signal Pattern: 2+ Litigation Partners Joining Same Office
When a firm adds multiple lateral litigation partners to the same office within a quarter, it signals an intentional capacity build. These teams are ramping up caseloads and need analytics to support a larger volume of state court matters.
Volume: ~65 litigation partner moves per month across Am Law 200 (Firm Prospects). Filtering to clusters of 2+ at the same office yields 6–10 actionable signals per month.
Signal Pattern: Litigation Firm Expands Square Footage
A firm relocating to a larger office or adding floors is investing in headcount growth. When the firm is litigation-heavy, more space means more litigators, more cases, and more court appearances in that jurisdiction.
Volume: 36% of all law firm leases in 2025 were expansions (Cushman & Wakefield). Filtering to litigation-heavy firms with 50+ attorneys yields 5–8 signals per month.
Market Context
Why This Pipeline Is Growing
Law firm expansion is at multi-year highs across every metric — lateral hiring, mergers, office openings, and physical space. This isn't a cyclical blip; it's a structural shift toward litigation-driven growth.
3,009
Partner Hires at Am Law 200 in 2025
A 10% increase over 2024 and a 5-year high. 26% were litigation-focused — roughly 65 litigation partner moves per month. Source: Firm Prospects.
59
Law Firm Mergers in 2025
Up 18% from 50 in 2024. 16 already announced for 2026. Each merger creates geographic overlap and jurisdiction gaps. Source: Fairfax Associates.
36%
Of Law Firm Leases Were Expansions
The highest share in five years. Firms leased 13.9M sq ft through Q3 2025, a 12% increase over 2024. Physical growth = headcount growth. Source: Cushman & Wakefield.
72%
Of Legal Leaders Plan Headcount Increases
Nearly three in four firms plan to add headcount in H1 2026. Litigation, not M&A, is the primary demand driver for the 10th consecutive quarter.
What You're Looking At
The lead cards in this report are a sample of what a
two-tier Pain-Qualified Prospect Feed looks like —
monitoring law firm expansion signals continuously and surfacing the firms most likely to need court analytics, organized by urgency.
What the Feed Looks Like
Tier 1: Hot Leads
5–8 per month. Firms entering new state jurisdictions — blind to local courts, judges, and procedures. Full lead cards with firm name, new jurisdiction, partner names, practice areas, announcement date, and verified BD contacts.
Tier 2: Warm Signals
15–27 per month. Firms expanding litigation capacity in existing jurisdictions — lateral hires, office expansions, new practice groups. Scored and prioritized by litigation intensity and growth velocity.
Weekly Delivery
Every Monday: 5–8 new signals with outreach-ready lead cards, expansion context, suggested talking points, and verified contacts for Managing Partners, litigation leads, and BD leadership.
The Guarantee
20+ qualified expansion signals with verified contact info every month —
or you don't pay for that month.
Built for B2B sales teams who'd rather have reasons to call than names to guess from.
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