As we reported earlier this week, the Atlanta office of Paul Hastings has adopted a new pay scale, with a starting salary of $160,000.

The Fulton County Daily Report picks up the news today. It's not new, since it was announced on Wednesday. But the article, by Meredith Hobbs, has a nice round-up of where things stand in the Atlanta market, post-Paul Hastings:

Like most of their competitors, Paul Hastings paid first-years $130,000 in 2007, the rate established by last spring's round of pay raises. The firm had delayed unveiling its response to the increase to $145,000 triggered by Alston & Bird in August (with smaller raises up the classes) until now.

Paul Hastings' new pay scale goes from $160,000 for first-years -- the current market rate for first-years in more expensive cities such as Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York -- to $215,000 for seventh-years.

By comparison, King & Spalding announced in October a 2008 scale starting at $145,000 for first-years and going to $195,000 for seventh-years. At that time, King & Spalding established a richer bonus system, which upped pay for first-years receiving bonuses to $152,500, and star seven-years to as high as $250,000.

Paul Hastings does not calculate bonuses until after the end of its fiscal year, so associate bonuses correlating to 2008 compensation will not be determined until the end of February 2009, said Philip J. Marzetti, the firm's Atlanta managing partner.

More excerpts and discussion, after the jump.

In some legal markets, including much of the West Coast, the talk these days is about associate bonuses. But in other locales, the January 2007 increase in base salaries is still rippling through the large law firms.

We've just learned that Alston & Bird has matched King & Spalding's Atlanta base salaries. But A&B but did not match the K&S bonus levels -- the lion's share of the K&S raise.

Neither Alston & Bird nor King & Spalding, nor any other Atlanta firm, is on a "true" $160K scale (as defined by Simpson Thacher). In fact, a seventh-year at Alston & Bird will earn less in 2008 base salary ($195,000) than a class of 2006 first-year at a New York firm will earn in 2007, counting year-end and special bonuses ($205,000).

But at least things in the Big Peach are moving in the right direction -- albeit incrementally. Check out the memo, after the jump.

Earlier today, King & Spalding announced the rest of its new associate pay scale, which will take effect on January 1, 2008. The firm had previously announced a starting salary for first-year associates of $145,000.

In terms of base salary, the K&S scale is similar to the Alston & Bird scale, but slightly better from year 4 through year 7 (to the tune of a few thousand dollars a year). The KS scheme also provides for a fixed bonus at 2050 billable hours (including up to 50 pro bono hours), starting at $7,500 for first years and going up to a range of $30,000-$55,000 for seventh years.

Additional bonuses, both for hours and for "significant non-billable contributions to the firm," remain available. Memo and table, after the jump.

We're pressing on with our series of open threads on Vault 100 law firms. We know that some of you are eager to discuss firms ranked in the 70's, and we don't want to disappoint you.

And a quick word from one of our sponsors, ATL's Career Partner, Lateral Link:

"Lateral Link provides free access to the Vault firm information/career guides. Readers can get free access to the full information on our site as part of our career center."

Without further ado, here are the five firms for this afternoon (in Vault 100 order, prestige scores in parentheses):

41. King & Spalding LLP (6.183)
42. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (6.099)
43. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP (6.080)
44. Baker & McKenzie (6.079)
45. Baker Botts LLP (6.061)

Please discuss them 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; Vault 26-30; Vault 31-35; Vault 36-40

None of these items is new. But as we were going through our overflowing inbox -- if we owe you an email, we apologize for our delinquency (or blame our spam filter) -- we came across some associate pay raises not previously mentioned here:

1. King & Spalding: We provided extensive coverage of their recent raise in Atlanta. But we forgot to mention that they also raised starting salaries in Houston, to $160,000 for first-year associates (effective August 1). Memo after the jump.

2. Hunton & Williams: This news surfaced in the comments, but we also received it by email: "Hunton in DC raised to $160k. Memo is floating around, though unfortunately I don't have a copy." (If you have the memo, please email us.)

Update: One commenter claims this news is incorrect. But as another commenter notes, the $160,000 starting salary appears in Hunton DC's NALP form. We trust the NALP form.

3. Allen Matkins: We weren't familiar with this 200+ lawyer, California-based firm. But since a tipster sent us their pay raise memo, we're happy to post it (also after the jump).

As always, we rely upon you, our readers, to keep us updated on associate salary developments. If you have news and/or a memo that we haven't previously posted, please email us. Thanks.

The dominoes are falling in Atlanta. Last night, Troutman Sanders made its associate pay raise announcement.

From the Fulton County Daily Report:

Troutman Sanders raised associate pay $15,000 across the board in its Atlanta, Washington, Virginia and North Carolina offices Thursday, with the starting salary going from $130,000 to $145,000.

The firm's managing partner, Robert W. Webb Jr., announced the pay increase to associates at 5 p.m. Thursday.

The raises are effective Jan. 1, 2008, the same date the pay raise that Alston & Bird announced to its Atlanta associates last week goes into effect. Earlier this week, King & Spalding matched Alston's $15,000 increase in starting pay, also effective Jan. 1, but did not raise pay for more senior associates.

Correction: According to a source at the firm, as well as various commenters, "Troutman's DC and Tysons Corner offices have starting salaries of $160K as a result of the increase. (Troutman's Atlanta office is starting at $145K)."

What's most noteworthy about this raise, as pointed out to us by several tipsters, is that it's "across the board" -- not just for first- or second-year associates. In Atlanta, where salary compression for more senior associates is a serious issue, an across-the-board raise of $15,000 is good news indeed. It's better than what has been announced thus far by Alston & Bird and King & Spalding.

More discussion, after the jump.

Earlier this week, we reported on King & Spalding raising starting salaries for its associates to $145,000.

A subsequent article, in the Fulton County Daily Report, contained this interesting analysis:

[Legal recruiter Raffaele V.] Murdocca predicted that King & Spalding would not simply match the new Alston & Bird pay scale for more senior classes. “A lot of associates are upset with how much pay compression there is at Alston & Bird,” he pointed out.

Alston increased pay by $15,000 for first-year associates but in smaller increments for more senior associate classes, so there is only a $45,000 difference between the salaries of the firm’s first- and seventh-year associates....

“That is not a lot of money when dealing with very different levels of experience,” said Murdocca. “Mid-level and senior associates are doing a substantial amount of work and are very valuable. The firm does not want to upset them...."

For ATL readers in ATL, there's additional discussion after the jump.

Good times for associates at King & Spalding in Atlanta. They get kidnapped, but they're released unharmed. And now they get pay raises!

We've confirmed the rumor from yesterday afternoon that King & Spalding has raised starting salaries for first-year associates. Here's the email:

We are pleased to announce that, effective January 1, 2008, the salary for first-year, partner-track associates in the Atlanta office will be $145,000. We are continuing to evaluate compensation for other partner-track associates in Atlanta and will communicate with you further as additional decisions are made. We appreciate all that you do for the firm and for our clients.

From a source at K&S: "Much speculation that the only possible reason for delay regarding other years is that the firm is going to top A&B."

K&S just announced [Greedy South / Infirmation]

Earlier: King & Spalding Attorney Kidnapped!

Time for another summer associate story. We're still taking submissions on these, so if you have one, check the submission guidelines and fire away.

Here's our latest X-Summer:

1. Superhero name: Crab Stabber AKA Senorita Foulmouth
2. Special power: Crazed Crustacean Impaling/ Spanish Profanity
3. Summered: King & Spalding, Houston, Summer 2004 or 2005 ("can't recall")
4. Claim to fame: The allegations, according to our tipster:

"K&S Houston used to have this boondoggle of a recruiting trip to the Four Seasons resort in Punta Mita Mexico for a weekend. Excellent way to get to know your summers, their spouses, and how they behave socially. And did I mention it is at a Four Seasons in Mexico?"

"Anyway, a group of people were sitting at a beach campfire, drinking some adult beverages and making smores and other goodies on the fire. Our heroine takes her skewer and proceeds to stab a crab, roughly 8 inches in diameter, that was trying to sneak by the people on the beach. Not a small crab. She then proceeds to roast it on the fire. There is a famous picture, which she more or less posed for, with her holding the crab on the skewer with a maniacal grin on her face. Let's just say some of the partners, spouses and others sitting around the campfire were a little shocked."

"At another point during that summer, our heroine was sitting in at the beginning of a lunch seminar with other summers, attorneys and paralegals. That summer, [a lot] of the SAs happened to be fluent in Spanish and would speak Spanish to each other in the halls, etc. Well, our heroine was talking to another summer in Spanish and apparently cursing like a Caracas sailor in mixed company, when a paralegal politely said: "You may want to be careful, other people speak Spanish here, too." To which our heroine shot back: "Are you an attorney?" Ummm... no, but let's just say that the paralegal knew a few.

5. What happened next: "Ummmm.... no offer."

The rules still apply. Don't be a d-bag and name the Crab Stabber or try to guess who she is. Thanks a bunch.

Two attorneys were reportedly kidnapped after leaving a nightclub in Atlanta Saturday night. They were found unharmed after one wrote a text message to his brother.

David Deganian, 26, and a friend, Herman Hoying, 28, stayed behind to pay a bar tab as everyone started to leave around 2:30 a.m., Arman Deganian said.

But David Deganian and Hoying never made it to the house. The truck they had arrived in was missing when Arman Deganian went out to look for his brother after receiving the text message.

Atlanta police issued a news release saying the two men were missing.

But by Sunday afternoon, Atlanta police had two men in custody. They were arrested in a store in southwest Atlanta when police say they used a credit card from one of the missing men, Arman Deganian said.

Text messages: Literally life-saving!

You wouldn't think it from the image shown here, but Herman Hoying (the one on the left) is an associate at King & Spalding, the venerable Atlanta firm. Check out the picture on the firm's site -- Herman cleans up well!

We wonder: How much ransom would K&S have paid to get Hoying back?

Update: Herman Hoying has a nice comment below:

I want to acknowledge the amazing work of both the Atlanta Police Department and SunTrust Bank, who worked together to quite literally save our lives. They did amazing work.

We're glad everyone is safe.

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.

The day that many of you have been waiting for has arrived. Today ATL goes to ATL: the fair city of Atlanta!

Based on NALP forms and prior news articles, it seems that starting salaries in the Big Peach generally range from $130,000 and $145,000 (similar to Philadelphia).

At $130K: Alston & Bird; Arnall Golden Gregory; King & Spalding; Kilpatrick Stockton; McKenna Long & Aldridge; Morris, Manning & Martin; Paul Hastings; Powell Goldstein; Smith Gambrell & Russell; Sutherland Asbill & Brennan; Troutman Sanders; Womble Carlyle.

At $135K: Jones Day

At $145K.: Dow Lohnes; Hunton & Williams; McGuireWoods; Schiff Hardin.

At $160K: Fish & Richardson (IP work).

Feel free to discuss associate compensation, or any other hot issues in Hotlanta, in the comments. Thanks.

New lawyers' pay puts public sector to shame [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
Alston & Bird Raises First-Year Pay Yet Again [Fulton County Daily Report]
Hunton raises first-year salaries to $145,000 [Fulton County Daily Report]

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

Today was a little more interesting than yesterday. A few announcements were made -- or were finally brought to our attention and confirmed, if they were made previously.

After the jump, more information about DLA Piper, Katten Muchin Rosenman, King & Spalding, and Jones Day (Atlanta).

(And, of course, your comments.)

Here's the King & Spalding memo. As our source points out, "King & Spalding matched -- but NYC only, which leaves an 8th-year in their Atlanta office making less than a 1st-year in their NY office."

Correction/Update: This is actually a disputed matter. According to this comment, a first-year in New York ($160K) makes more than a sixth-year in Atlanta ($155K), but not an eighth-year ($170K). The point remains, however, that K&S's New York associates earn significantly more than their colleagues at the Atlanta mother ship.

KING & SPALDING LLP

From: Hays, Robert
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 6:32 PM
To: [New York associates]
Subject: Increase in Salaries for New York Partner-Track Associates

Please see the attached announcement regarding changes to base salaries for our New York partner-track associates.

A few moves within the legal profession worth noting:

Legal Academia:

* Tax law professor Neil Buchanan, to GW, from Rutgers-Newark, effective January 2007. (Gavel Bang: TaxProf Blog.)

Lateral Law Firm Moves:

* Corporate lawyer Carey Schreiber, to Winston & Strawn, from Dewey Ballantine.

* Corporate lawyer Jeffrey Katz, to Dechert (as a partner), from Milbank Tweed (where he was a senior attorney).

New Partners:

* King & Spalding has named twelve new partners. Have a friend who was up this year? See if they made it by reviewing the firm's press release.

Although they don't involve moves, while we're on the subject of law firm employment (and King & Spalding), here are two interesting items from the WSJ Law Blog:

1. Power Brothers Ascend to the Top of Hotlanta’s Legal Scene: Two brothers, Robert Hays and Richard Hays, will be heading Atlanta's two largest law firms, King & Spalding and Alston & Bird.

This will take effect as of 2008, when Richard Hays takes over as Alston & Bird's managing partner. Robert Hays is currently chair of King & Spalding. See also here.

2. Spurned Orrick Associate Sues Firm: "At the same time that it’s talking merger with Dewey Ballantine, west-coast powerhouse Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is defending a suit by a former associate who claims the firm fraudulently promised to make him a partner."

Buchanan to Leave Rutgers for GW [TaxProf Blog]
NY Partners Switching Firms [NYLawyer.com]
NY Associates Making Partner [NYLawyer.com]
King & Spalding Announces Twelve New Partners [King & Spalding]

Today's big move is from the government to the private sector:

* Renowned Enron prosecutor Sean Berkowitz, to the Chicago office of Latham & Watkins. The much-anticipated move took place after the young legal superstar was wooed by many other top firms. Berkowitz will be an equity partner at Latham, where profits per partner clock in at $1.6 million -- at least ten times what he earned as an AUSA.

(Berkowitz, you may recall, was dating financial reporter Bethany McLean, who covered the Enron trial for Fortune magazine. Anyone know whether they are still an item -- and if so, how serious? Partner profits are great for buying engagement rings.)

The boom in white-collar criminal prosecutions has created lots of job opportunities for government lawyers. Another notable move: former SEC lawyer David Mittelman, headed for the San Francisco office of Reed Smith.

New Partners:

* Cleary Gottlieb, aka Clearly Goatlips -- we hadn't heard that one before, it's a good one -- names eight new partners and six new counsel. No word on whether a swimming test was required.

Here's the firm's press release. See if you know any of these soon-to-be millionaires.

Lateral Moves:

* Patent prosecutrix Margaret Brivanlou, to King & Spalding (NY), from Jones Day. (She joined Jones Day when it gobbled up much of what had been IP boutique Pennie & Edmonds.)

* Litigator Daniel Murdock, to Fulbright & Jaworski (NY), from Winston & Strawn (where he formerly chaired the New York litigation practice).

New Firm:

* Charles Ross, former head of the white-collar practice at Herrick Feinstein, has left to start his own firm. Charles A. Ross & Associates will handle criminal defense and some civil cases. Ross is also a former law partner of the Diddy-defending Benjmain Brafman, go-to guy for celebrities with legal problems.

Cleary Gottlieb Announces 14 New Partners and Counsel Worldwide [Cleary Gottlieb]
Enron Prosecutor Berkowitz Joins Latham & Watkins [WSJ Law Blog]
Firm Nabs SEC Attorney [NYLawyer.com]

New Partners:

* Sullivan & Cromwell: Jeffrey Chapman, Michael Escue, Hydee Feldstein, Stacey Friedman, Brian Hamilton, Julia Jordan, Eric Kadel, Jr. and Juan Rodriguez.

The partnership promotions will be effective January 1, 2007. Congratulations, kids!

Like many other top New York firms, Sullivan still has a single-tier partnership structure. All partners are equity partners.

And all S&C partners are doing very well for themselves. In 2005, the firm enjoyed average profits-per-partner of $2.4 million. See here (subscription required).

Lateral Moves:

* Private equity lawyer Stephen Culhane, to Linklaters (10 points -- Magic Circle!!!), from King & Spalding.

Government to Private Sector:

* Harry Sandick, to Jenner & Block, from the venerable S.D.N.Y. U.S. Attorney's Office (where he served as deputy chief appellate attorney and, before that, as acting chief of the violent crimes unit).

* Hawyood Haywood Gilliam, to Bingham McCutchen, from the well-regarded San Francisco U.S. Attorney's Office (N.D. Cal.).

[Ed. note: See this comment, and this juicy article. It appears that the office has slipped in the past few years.]

Haywood Gilliam headed the securities fraud section of the U.S.A.O. and worked on various stock options backdating cases. His move to private practice is timely, given the explosion of backdating scandals in Silicon Valley. But Gilliam will presumably be conflicted out of a bunch of cases that he worked on while at the U.S. Attorney's Office.

UK Firm Adds Another NY Partner [NYLawyer.com]
Former Federal Prosecutor Joins Firm in NY [NYLawyer.com]
In Timely Hire, Firm Grabs Backdating Prosecutor [NYLawyer.com]

A number of big-ticket moves to report today. The most notable involve government lawyers:

Government to Private Sector:

* Debra Wong Yang, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California (Los Angeles), has resigned from the USAO. She's headed to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, as a partner (duh). Ka-ching!

Yang will work out of the firm's L.A. office. She will co-chair its Crisis-Management Group, along with former Solictor General Theodore Olson and another former federal prosecutor, Randy Mastro.

At Main Justice:

* Jonathan Cohn (OT 2000/Thomas) is now the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Appellate. He was previously the DAAG overseeing the Office of Immigration Litigation (and will continue to discharge that duty until a successor is found).

At right: Jonathan Cohn and his wife, Rachel Brand (OT 2002/Kennedy), the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy. Although his portfolio has changed (and we'd say for the better), he doesn't have to get new business cards, since he's still a DAAG.

Out the Door:

* Casualties of the stock options backdating scandal: Stuart Nichols, former general counsel of KLA-Tencor, and David Lubben, former general counsel of UnitedHealth.

Lateral Moves:

* Corporate lawyer Arthur Hull Hayes III, to Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, from Dewey Ballantine.

* Technology, media, and telecom lawyer Carole Aciman, to Greenberg Traurig, from Hughes Hubbard & Reed.

* King & Spalding: The intellectual property practice acquires five new lawyers: Kenneth Sonnenfeld (NY) and John Harbin, Tony Askew, Steve Schaetzel, and Jim Johnson (in Atlanta). They came from Morgan & Finnegan (Sonnenfeld), Powell Goldstein (Harbin), and Kilpatrick Stockton (Askew, Schaetzel and Johnson).

And Another One Gone, And Another One Gone... [WSJ Law Blog]
L.A. U.S. Attorney Debra Yang Resigns; Will Join Gibson Dunn [WSJ Law Blog]
NY Partners Switching Firms [NYLawyer.com]
More NY Partners Switching Firms [NYLawyer.com]