Associate Bonus Watch 2010, Biglaw, Bonuses, Law Schools, Reality TV, Television

Associate Bonus Watch: Sherman & Sterling(And... Jeopardy!)

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We want to hear about your firm’s bonus news, even if it’s old. If we haven’t reported on it yet, we want to know about it. (Use our site search box in the upper-right-hand corner, or scroll through our Associate Bonus Watch archives, to see which announcements we’ve already covered.)

Here’s some old bonus news (literally “last year’s” news). A few weeks ago, Shearman & Sterling announced its bonuses. They essentially matched the Cravath scale, but with the caveat (also issued last year) that they are at least partly “merit-based” — i.e., adjusted up or down based on performance. The S&S bonuses are being paid out on January 14.

Some Shearman associates might be upset by the lack of upward movement on bonuses. But at least one of them probably doesn’t care that much, since he enjoyed other income in 2010.

I’ll take “Lawyers Who Have Appeared on Jeopardy” for $1000, Alex….

Who is… Jesse Cuevas?

Cuevas, a Stanford Law alum, is an associate in the capital markets group at Shearman. Back in October, he appeared on Jeopardy and won a total of $65,981, over three consecutive days. This was enough to land him in the Jeopardy Hall of Fame (for $50,000 Plus Winners).

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One female ATL reader who saw him on the show remarked that he “comes off pretty well on TV” — and adds that she’d “do him.” (Jesse, if you want to be put in touch with her, just email us, subject line “Jeopardy groupie.”)

Of course, Cuevas is far from the only legal eagle to soar on Jeopardy. Here are three other examples of lawyers or law students who competed on the show (from the past year or so):

  • Shekar Ramanuja Sidarth: S.R. Sidarth — aka “macaca,” at least to former Senator George Allen — appeared on Jeopardy in December 2009. The GW law student came in second.
  • Matt DeTura: In the Georgetown v. GW rivalry, score this one for the Hoyas. Like Jesse Cuevas, Georgetown grad DeTura won more than $60,000 over a three-day period in October 2010, also entering the Jeopardy Hall of Fame. (There’s a small discrepancy on his winnings; the Hunterdon Democrat reports that DeTura won a total of $63,401, while the Jeopardy website lists his winnings as $61,601.)
  • William Durbin: Durbin, a litigation associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Winston & Strawn, appeared on Jeopardy on December 6 of last year. Alas, he didn’t fare as well as fellow Biglaw associate Cuevas; Durbin came in third.

Are you aware of other notable lawyers or law students who have competed on Jeopardy? Please feel free to mention them in the comments. Thanks!

This is JEOPARDY! Hall of Fame. [Jeopardy!]
Voorhees High School graduate is three day winner on ‘Jeopardy,’ wins $63,000 [Hunterdon Democrat]
GW Law Student to Compete on Jeopardy This Monday [Jonathan Turley]
Sighting: Hey, isn’t that ‘Macaca’ on Jeopardy? [Yeas & Neas / Washington Examiner]
William Durbin Appears on Jeopardy [Winston & Strawn (press release)]
Who Is the BigLaw Associate Who Got a Chance to Compete on ‘Jeopardy,’ and How Did He Do? [ABA Journal]

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