Kirkland & Ellis Associates: Show Up To Work Tomorrow To Talk About Your Bonus

Kirkland & Ellis is perhaps the biggest bonus shoe left to drop. Will the firm follow Skadden as the firm’s prestige and profitability suggests? Or will Kirkland pull a Half-Skadden and settle down with the rest of the market?

We’ll know tomorrow. A firm-wide email just gave K&E New York associates a big reason to show up for work the day before Christmas Eve. John Desmarais is holding what we assume will be a very interesting meeting tomorrow:

Subject: Compensation NY Associates:

I’d like to have a brief meeting with you all tomorrow at 10 am on the 50th Floor (50G) to discuss salaries and bonuses for this year and next. At that time, also, I’ll say a few words about how the office and the firm are doing in the current economic climate.

jd

This could be good news: why would K&E have a full meeting only to do what Cravath and the rest of the market has already done?

Of course, this could be terrible news: why would they need to “discuss salaries” when raises should be perfunctory,at a financially secure institution?

More on Kirkland’s meeting after the jump.


If we are going to read between the lines even further, it is worth mentioning that this email was sent out only to New York associates (let us know if there is a similar Chicago meeting scheduled by emailing tips@abovethelaw.com).

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The New York focus could be significant. A tipster points out what many people have been hearing over the last couple of weeks:

Rumors of in-fighting between Chicago and NY about whether to go Skadden or Cravath.

It is believed that the New York partners favor the Cravath scale.

Could this meeting be an explanation to K&E New York associates about why they are getting less than their Chicago colleagues? Remember, O’Melveny has set the standard for paying NYC associates less money than associates in other offices.

But Sidley Austin has also come out putting the Chicago market in the Cravath camp.

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Tomorrow, we’ll see if Kirkland plays follower or leader.

Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of associate bonuses.