A closely watched trial over junior banker hours is off. The sleepless nights aren't.
Business Insider
February 23, 2026
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Wall Street's closely watched trial over junior banker hours has been settled, but the underlying issue of excessive workloads persists. Despite the settlement, recruiters indicate that working conditions for young bankers remain unchanged, particularly amid an expected M&A rebound. This could lead to even longer hours and sleep deprivation, especially during live deals.
Kathryn Shiber's lawsuit against Centerview Partners highlighted the grueling nature of junior banking roles. The case centered on her termination after requesting accommodations for a mood disorder, including eight uninterrupted hours of sleep. Court documents revealed analysts at Centerview working 60 to 120 hours weekly during active deals, underscoring the intense demands of the job.
Recruiter data from 2025 shows junior bankers logging similar hours as in 2022, with elite boutiques reporting a 4% increase. While bulge-bracket banks saw only a 1% rise, the workload remains significant across the board. Boutique juniors face longer hours due to leaner teams, making them more attractive to private equity firms.
Despite increased scrutiny and reforms post-pandemic, such as tracking tools and guidelines like JPMorgan's 80-hour cap with exceptions for live deals, long hours during active projects still prevail. Recruiters anticipate a potential M&A boom in 2026, which could exacerbate the workload for
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Originally published on Business Insider on 2/23/2026