Associate Bonus Watch 2012, Biglaw, Bonuses, Magic Circle, Money

Associate Bonus Watch: Clifford Chance

Bonus news for U.S. associates at one of the world's top law firms.

onDecember 13, 2012 at 12:16 PM

The global law firm of Clifford Chance, a member of the Magic Circle, is one of the biggest names in Biglaw. It’s the world’s #5 law firm in terms of revenue and the #3 law firm in terms of headcount. In the American Lawyer’s inaugural set of rankings for the world’s most valuable law firms, Clifford Chance came in #6. Clifford Chance is so global that it makes the Atlantic Ocean look like a pond.

Here in the United States, Clifford Chance has offices in New York and Washington. What can associates in these offices expect in terms of their bonuses this year?

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From Pilot and Above The Law

Just as it did last year, Clifford Chance is basically matching the New York market (defined this year by the Cravath scale). This isn’t a huge surprise. As one source put it, “There was no way the firm was ever going to try to beat any of the other firms; although very much an international firm, it has a British mothership and it just tries to match the New York market to keep in the New York market.”

Bonuses will be paid on January 15, 2013. The memo, from regional managing partner Craig Medwick, appears on the next page for anyone who’s curious.

Congratulations on the bonuses, Clifford Chance associates. If you wonder why people even try to juggle Biglaw and being a mommy, these bonuses are a good place to start.