Biglaw Firm Paying Out Staff Bonuses

Who's getting a little extra in their next paycheck?

Happy young woman showing moneyIt’s Administrative Professionals Week in the U.S., that special time of year when lawyers take a break from screaming at their secretaries and remember that they’re human beings with thoughts and feelings. And like most occasions that call for genuine emotion, lawyers respond by throwing money at it.

In the case of Fried Frank, they’re throwing some bonus money in the direction of their staff up to Senior Manager level. An email from firm chair David Greenwald delivered the good news this morning:

Today marks the start of Staff Appreciation week, during which we recognize the hard work and critically important contribution of our Firm’s remarkable administrative team. We had a record financial year in FY17, and each member of our staff should feel proud of the role you have played in the Firm’s success.

As a result of the Firm’s recent successful financial performance, I am pleased to announce that we will be paying a one-time special bonus equal to one week’s salary to our administrative staff. Alan Parsons will share details and criteria in a separate email to staff shortly.

On behalf of all the partners, thank you for all that you do and for helping to make Fried Frank a remarkable and successful firm!

All bonuses are a welcome addition to the wallet, and Fried Frank has a good reputation for treating its staff well — a lot of other firms aren’t giving out these bonuses — but it’s worth noting that one week’s salary is roughly a 2 percent bonus. Imagine a first-year putting the finishing touches on a 2700 hour year only to find a $3,600 bonus waiting for them. Obviously staff don’t have law school debt staring them down, but can’t we as a profession do a little better for the folks who make the trains run on time? I mean, Staten Island (home of the Wu Tang Clan, every legal secretary on the planet, and… well, that’s about it) isn’t as cheap as it used to be. UPDATE (4/24/17 10:44 p.m.): Revisiting this paragraph, I want to clarify that I’m not criticizing Fried Frank here as much as making a general call to help out staff more. In fact, a tipster pointed out that Fried Frank also provides an annual discretionary bonus on top of this bonus, proving that they’re doing more than the average firm for their staff.

With that said, good for Fried Frank making the effort to pad their staff’s compensation a little bit. They’ve put up with our neuroses all year long, let them wet their beaks in the Am Law 50 riches for a change.

Earlier: To Play In The Big Leagues, Pay Like The Big Leagues


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HeadshotJoe Patrice is an editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.

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