Open Thread: Business as Usual, or The Firms That Have Not Frozen Salaries

We still don’t think Biglaw firms giving out normal raises is news. But judging from the number of e-mails and comments we’ve received begging for this list, many ATL readers judge this post-worthy.

In case you’re somehow unfamiliar with the practice, Biglaw firms tend to have a tiered salary system keyed to associates’ class years. In the new year, when an associate moves up a class, they move to the next level on the pay scale. An example of such a scale, from Cleary Gottlieb’s 2009 salary memo (posted in full after the jump):

Class Salary

2008 and participants in the International Lawyer Program – $160,000

2007 – $170,000

2006 – $185,000

2005 – $210,000

2004 – $230,000

2003 – $250,000

2002 – $265,000

2001 – $280,000

Some 32 firms (that we know of) are responding to economic pressures by freezing salaries: capping pay scales at last year’s rates.

But a number of firms are giving their associates the usual $10,000 – $25,000 raise. This is an open thread for those getting the pay bump to brag about it. A list of nearly 50 firms conducting business as usual with raises, after the jump.


“BigLaw Attorney” in the ATL Community has posted a thread on firms that have not frozen. Here’s his or her list of firms, with some editing by us:

Baker Botts

Baker Hostetler

Boies Schiller

Bracewell Giuliani

Cahill

Cleary

Clifford Chance

Covington

Cravath

Crowell & Moring

Davis Polk

Debevoise

Dechert

Dewey

Finnegan

Fitzpatrick Cella

Foley & Lardner

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Fried Frank

Gibson Dunn

Greenberg Traurig

Holland & Knight

Hughes Hubbard

Irell & Manella

Jones Day

Kaye Scholer

Kenyon & Kenyon

King & Spalding

Kirkland

Kramer Levin

Linklaters

[UPDATE Feb. 2] Milbank

Morgan Lewis

Munger

O’Melveny

Paul Hastings

Paul Weiss

Proskauer Rose

Quinn Emanuel

Reed Smith

Ropes & Gray

Schulte

Shearman

Simpson Thacher

Skadden

Sullivan

Vinson & Elkins

Weil

White & Case

Williams & Connolly

Willkie Farr

WilmerHale

Winston & Strawn

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Discuss, correct, and brag in the comments.


CLEARY & GOTTLIEB 2009 SALARY MEMORANDUM

Earlier: Updated Salary Freeze Round-up: Even More Firms on Ice

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