As we expected, celebrity professors Cass Sunstein and Samatha Power were the winners of last week's July Couple of the Month voting, running away with over 60 percent of the vote. Congratulations to this nerdy-hot duo!

This week's set of contestants might be the strongest we've seen this season. Their write-ups feature five Harvard degrees, a Rhodes, and one of Biglaw's most exalted surnames. Here are the names of the newlyweds:

1. Geneviève Treuille and Daniel Wachtell

2. Melissa Langsam and Todd Braunstein

3. Amanda Schwoerke and Stephen Sachs

Read more about these couples -- and see their pictures -- after the jump.

In connection with on-campus interviewing season, we're giving you a chance to assess the firms that made this year's Vault 100 list of most prestigious law firms. The previous open threads listed firms in groups of five, but to up the pace, we'll list them by ten from here on out. Here's the next group, with prestige scores in parentheses:

21. O'Melveny & Myers LLP (6.815)
22. Clifford Chance LLP (6.772)
23. Jones Day (6.763)
24. Morrison & Foerster LLP (6.657)
25. Hogan & Hartson LLP (6.579)
26. Linklaters (6.574)
27. Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy (6.512)
28. Ropes & Gray LLP (6.501)
29. Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP (6.494)
30. Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (6.481)

We note Magic Circle firm Linklaters making a big leap from the high 30s in the 2008 list to #26 this year -- perhaps because its "notable perks" include group retreats to Europe, a drinks trolley, and an on-site doctor and dentist.

Compare. Contrast. Discuss. Thanks.

Earlier: Vault 100 Open Threads - 2009

A reader sends us this party invitation from Hogan & Hartson's New York office. Perhaps they should move the happy hour to Atrium XXX.

For the clueless among you, see the Urban Dictionary.

While we continue to update our ATL / Lateral Link tables on clerkship bonuses and signing bonuses and bar exam fees, a few of the clerks I have been working with lately have asked an interesting, but often critical question: "Do I have to give it back if I leave?"

Stay tuned for results next week, and, as always, please feel free to send us tips.

In the meantime, a quick shout-out to two firms making nice strides lately: Hogan & Hartson now offers a $50K clerkship bonus in all of their offices, and Fried Frank has increased their paid maternity leave to 18 weeks.

Both of our running tables have now been updated to reflect the good news.

Let's send you into the holiday weekend with some associate bonus news. Here are some law firm bonus announcements that haven't been previously covered in these pages.

(Firms that previously announced their bonuses, but are being sneaky about the exact amounts and/or the percentage of associates getting them, will be addressed separately. This post is for completely new announcements.)

Some of this news is incomplete. If you can provide more details, please email us. Thanks.

1. Akin Gump (New York): Year-end bonuses, and special bonuses to "those associates and counsel who have performed in accordance with the Firm’s expectations regarding productivity, quality of work and Firm citizenship." Plus "discretionary merit bonuses" to associates and counsel "who performed in a truly exceptional manner."

One source at the firm characterizes it as follows:

Full match in NY, with extra bonuses in certain cases (generally to billers over 2400). There has never been an hours requirement, so if past practice is any indicator, anyone not being fired will get it.

Full memo, after the jump.

2. Akin Gump (outside New York): Each associate is allowed to make the case to the firm for a big bonus. A source tells us that this practice of asking associates to write up memos to justify their bonuses started a few years ago. "I wonder how this plays into the current bonus climate, or if anyone else has to do this."

3. Hogan & Hartson (outside New York): The 2007 bonus memo appears after the jump.

4. Hogan & Hartson (New York): We've confirmed the fact that Hogan announced bonuses in New York. It was described to us as a market match. But we haven't seen a memo or the fine print of the announcement, so we can't confirm that.

Update: The bonus memo for Hogan & Hartson's New York office appears after the jump.

5. Vinson & Elkins (New York): "V&E matched the New York market bonus (including this year's special bonus) for its New York associates, to be paid on January 15, 2008. No memo yet, a voicemail."

6. Sheppard Mullin: Details after the jump.

Remember those strange radio advertisements about Hogan & Hartson? We discussed them here and here. The ads went something like this:

Did you hire a Hogan and Hartson senior partner for bet the company liltigation? Was your case handled by a junior lawyer instead of the senior partner you thought you were paying for? Call 800-759-8611.

Well, Peter Lattman and the WSJ Law Blog have gotten to the bottom of this oddness. It turns out the ads, which ran in print as well as on the radio, were financed by a company called General Steel. Earlier this year, General Steel sued Hogan, alleging fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract. From the Law Blog:

In July a judge in Denver dismissed all but one of the claims against Hogan and sent the remaining claim — essentially a fee dispute — to arbitration. Hogan says General Steel owes the firm around $300,000; General Steel wants its money back and more. Click here for the judge’s order; and here for the judge’s order denying General Steel’s motion for reconsideration. General Steel is also appealing the judge’s ruling.

Hogan & Hartson says it’s not surprised by the Times ad, which has also run in D.C. newspapers (and on the radio). During the settlement negotiations, Hogan says that Knight had threatened a “shock and awe” campaign against Hogan if it didn’t pay General Steel money to settle its claims.

We are "shock[ed] and awe[d]" -- by the tackiness of General Steel. If we're ever in the market for prefabricated commercial steel buildings, they're definitely not getting our business.

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Dissatisfied Hogan & Hartson Client [WSJ Law Blog]

Earlier: Remember Those Weird Radio Ads Mentioning Hogan & Hartson?
Lawsuit of the Day: Have You Been Injured... By Hogan & Hartson?

Late last month, we posted what appeared to be a White & Case memo, concerning requests for vacation during the Christmas week this year. There was some debate in the comments about the memo's authenticity and/or how widely it was distributed (e.g., maybe it was just for the M&A group). But the gist of the memo, which shouldn't be that shocking, is that everybody wants that week off -- so if you were hoping to take vacation that week, you might want to rethink your plans.

Down in D.C., Hogan & Hartson apparently has a much more generous holiday policy. They just announced that, since Christmas and New Year's Day fall on Tuesdays this year, the firm will be closed on both of the preceding Mondays: December 24 and December 31. The firm characterizes these office closings as "an expression of thanks for the dedication and hard work of our lawyers and staff this past year."

But are associates happy about this news? In some quarters, it's being viewed cynically:

We have been fighting with H&H regarding decent bonuses this year, especially given their usual disgraceful examples of bonuses. This seems to be their way of bonusing us (without actually paying). Give us more days off, so it is more difficult to make your minimum hours the next year. The partners are tight and don't seem to want to pay any form of market or even reasonable bonuses despite unprecedented productivity and billing rates this last fiscal year.

For those of you who are curious, the Hogan & Hartson memo appears after the jump.

Earlier: Making the Case for a White Christmas at Biglaw

What's the hot new trend in Biglaw? Two-track systems for associates. They're regarded as a sensible way for law firms to address the twin challenges of (1) higher associate salaries and (2) associate attrition (often due to a frustration with long hours).

Here's word of the latest law firm to join the party, from NYLawyer.com (reg. req'd):

Chapman and Cutler, a Chicago-based firm with three offices and about 220 attorneys, has joined the parade of firms boosting first-year associate pay to $160,000, but the firm is taking a new path once associates reach their second year.

Second-year associates can opt for one of two compensation tracks at the firm under a new system that took effect last month, said Rick Cosgrove, who is chief executive partner at the firm. They can choose to work fewer hours at a lower pay level or more hours at a higher salary level, he said.

Cosgrove declined to specify the hours required and related pay rates under the new pay program for competitive reasons.

If you have info on the Chapman and Cutler scale that you'd be willing to share, please email us. According to a poster at Greedy Chicago:

The higher track is essentially Biglaw market, so long as you hit 2000 billables/year. The lower track is compressed to about $5k-$10k/year, depending on class year, and you need to hit 1850.

Other firms with two-track systems (click on each firm's name for a memo and/or details): Hogan & Hartson, Wiley Rein, Fenwick & West, and Thelen (formerly Thelen Reid, and FYI, "Thelen" rhymes with "wheelin'"; see here).

Do you have an opinion about this two-tiered approach? If so, vote in our reader polls, after the jump.

We hope there aren't too many of you in the office on this federal holiday, but for those ATL readers who are toiling away, here's a Labor Day edition of LEWW to ease the pain.

This Last week's superlative couples:

1.) Elizabeth Holland and David Franklin
2.) Lara Ballard and Gigi Sohn
3.) Allison Caldwell and Matthew Frisbee

More about these fabulous pairs, after the jump.

We think this latest Vault 100 law firm thread will be a good one. Here are the five firms now on the table for discussion (in Vault 100 order, with prestige scores in parentheses):

26. Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft (6.648)
27. Hogan & Hartson LLP (6.622)
28. Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP (6.615)
29. Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP (6.588)
30. Ropes & Gray LLP (6.566)

We expect (formerly bedbug-infested) Cadwalader to generate a fair amount of discussion, since we hear associate morale over there ain't so hot. Consider this comment, from the morning's open thread on happy hours:

At my anonymous law firm they pour water in a trough and hang a feed bag in a conference room daily, they then ring a bell and let us know we have 2 minutes to eat and drink before we must get back to work ... Man, I love working at Cadwalader... Oops.

And we also expect interesting stuff about Mayer Brown. From a tipster:

Would you consider running a piece on the troubles at Mayer Brown? You've already reported on their partners being fired/leaving, the Refco mess, and their unhappy associates. I think some open speculation on where their firm is going would be very enjoyable at this point.

So have at 'em, in the comments. Thanks.

The Vault Top 100 Law Firms [Vault]

Earlier: Vault 1-5; Vault 6-10; Vault 11-15; Vault 16-20; Vault 21-25

We discussed them back in this post, and wondered: What are they all about?

Well, now we have some answers.

But the mystery isn't completely solved, since we know neither the identity nor the grievances of the ex-Hogan client who is so unhappy with the firm (or its fees) that they're taking out (presumably expensive) radio ads to make a point. If you can enlighten us, please do so by email (subject line: "Hogan & Hartson"). Thanks.

Former Client Running Ads Against Hogan and Hartson [New York Personal Injury Law Blog]
Disgruntled Client Launches Toll-Free Number for Gripes About BigLaw Firm [Legal Times]

Earlier: Lawsuit of the Day: Have You Been Injured... By Hogan & Hartson?

If so, call 1-800-759-8611. NOW!

No, this isn't a joke. From a source:

I heard this radio advertisement running on 50,000 watt WABC radio in New York. I heard it twice on the morning of the 16th, about 6:30am and about one hour later, and once again (3rd time) I believe [on Wednesday]. It went something like this:

Did you hire a Hogan and Hartson senior partner for bet the company liltigation? Was your case handled by a junior lawyer instead of the senior partner you thought you were paying for? Call 800-759-8611.

I believe I have the number correct. What's this all about?

We share our tipster's curiosity. And yes, reader, you have the number correct. We called the number, got an answering machine message (which mentioned Hogan & Hartson), and left a message of our own, identifying ourselves as media types in search of comment (we haven't heard back yet).

We don't understand the nature of this lawsuit. If these plaintiffs' lawyers think that hiring Rainmaking Partner X means that all work on your case will be done by Rainmaking Partner X, they need to get a clue. Tons of other lawyers will work on your case -- but be billed out at much lower rates, of course.

(David Boies, Ted Olson, Marty Lipton... they have these people called associates, you see, who help them with stuff. Associates are kinda like Santa's elves. They do all the work, even though you may not see them that much...)

But if the allegation is that clients of Hogan & Hartson were billed for hours supposedly worked by a senior partner, when the hours in question were actually worked by, say, a junior associate -- well, that might be more interesting.

Does anyone know what the heck this might be about, or which plaintiffs' firm is handling the matter? If so, please email us. Thanks.

First, King & Spalding is now on the $160K salary scale in Washington, DC. We hear that the associates back in Atlanta, who have not seen any raise action, aren't happy campers. Memo after the jump.

Second, with respect to the rumor that Hogan & Hartson has raised salaries for its lower-hours track, we'd appreciate it if someone would send us confirmation and/or a memo. Thanks.

We're big fans of Miami. We greatly enjoyed the visit we paid back in March, when we got to meet up with readers at an ATL Happy Hour.

So we're more than happy to make Miami the next stop on our tour of the nation's legal markets. Here's a summary of the lay of the land, courtesy of the Daily Business Review:

Playing its hand in the South Florida associate pay stakes, Greenberg Traurig raised the starting base salaries of its rookie lawyers in Miami and Fort Lauderdale to $135,000 and their total compensation packages to more than $150,000....

The base salary of Greenberg’s first-year lawyers now will match that of White & Case, which in February announced that it had raised first-year salaries to $135,000 in Miami.

Holland & Knight, Hogan & Hartson and Akerman Senterfitt recently raised salaries for rookie lawyers to $130,000 in South Florida.

Hunton & Williams has raised its first-year salaries to $145,000 in Miami. Two New York-based firms, Weil Gotshal & Manges and Boies Schiller & Flexner, pay first-years $160,000 in their South Florida offices.

This article was published back in April. A quick spin through the NALP forms suggests this information is still correct.

But sometimes the NALP forms aren't updated immediately. Has anything changed since April -- or is anything about to change in the near future?

Please discuss associate compensation in the Miami legal market in the comments. Thanks.

Business of Law: Greenberg raises first-year salaries, urges pro bono work [Daily Business Review]

Related: Open threads focused on Denver, Hartford, Philadelphia, Seattle, New Jersey, Phoenix, Atlanta, Charlotte, Ohio.

There is no longer any doubt: the nation's capital is on the so-called "$160K scale." Say good-bye (or good riddance) to the salary differential between (1) Washington-based firms, and (2) the D.C. offices of New York or California firms.

Why? The homegrown firm of Hogan & Hartson just raised associate base salaries, matching the $160K scale in its Washington, Baltimore, and Los Angeles offices (for the 1950 hour track, but not the 1800 hour track).

This means that the other top D.C. firms, like Arnold & Porter and Covington & Burling, have no choice but to follow suit. Failing to match, now that a true peer firm has done so, would give rise to mortification (and deservedly so).

The full Hogan & Hartson memo, after the jump.

We received this memorandum indirectly (i.e., not from a source at Hogan & Hartson). But we have no reason to question it, since it's consistent with the firm's publicly declared intention to stay at $145,000 in D.C., at least for the time being.

HOGAN & HARTSON

From the D.C.-based Legal Times:

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom said Wednesday it would increase its first-year associate salaries [in Washington] to $160,000, following in the footsteps of New York-based Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

Skadden is the first law firm with a major D.C. presence to up the ante for associate pay in Washington. The firm has 263 lawyers in the District.

D.C.-based Hogan & Hartson has also announced it is moving associate salaries in its New York office to $160,000, but it doesn’t plan to do the same in Washington as of yet.

So in New York, it looks like all the biggies will be following suit. But expect a divide to open up in D.C. between the "national" firms and the local shops:

[M]ost D.C. firms are staying quiet about whether or not they’ll follow. Karl Racine, managing partner of Venable’s Washington office, which pays first-year associates $135,000, says he “expects that to remain.”

You can read the rest of Nate Carlile and Anna Palmer's article here.

Skadden Raises Associate Pay [Legal Times]

Earlier: Previous announcements of law firm associate salary increases (scroll down through "Skaddenfreude" archives)