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Nationwide Pay Raise Watch: A Jenner & Block Memo

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Jenner Block LLP logo Abovethelaw Above the Law legal tabloid.JPGHere is a memo — yes, a memo, not THE memo — that went out to Jenner & Block associates over the weekend:

Associate Compensation
Gallopoulos, Gregory S
To: #All Attorneys – All Offices

The Firm is currently giving consideration to our associate compensation structure in light of recent market changes. The Firm remains committed to maintaining a competitive compensation structure and a superior working environment. We anticipate that we will be making changes in our associate compensation structure, and as soon as we have concluded our review and consideration we will be announcing those changes. In the meantime, if anyone has questions or comments, please feel free to call me.

Gregory S. Gallopoulos
Managing Partner
Jenner & Block LLP

Our source is optimistic about the chances of a raise:

We have no doubt that Jenner will raise to $160K, but the partners in charge will do it as slowly as possible so they can tell Jenner’s clients (who, like all law firm clients, hate these raises because they don’t pay for any extra talent or skills and because they follow so closely on the heels of 2 other raises in the last year and a half) that they had no choice — every other firm raised as well. That will keep clients as happy as possible, and since the raises will almost certainly be made retroactive to May 1 or June 1, associates won’t care about the delay.

But we’ve also heard from some tipsters who are less sanguine. These sources suggest that maybe Jenner isn’t in the best position to be raising salaries right now.
We’ll have more in a subsequent post (because we have contacted the firm and are waiting to hear back from them). If you have any Jenner gossip to pass along, please email us (subject line: “Jenner and Block”). Thanks.
Earlier: Nationwide Pay Raise Watch: What’s Up With Jenner & Block?

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Morning Docket: 06.04.07

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* Paris Hilton turned herself in to go to jail after attending the MTV Movie Awards. [CNN]
* Spammer busted! [MSNBC]
* Michael Vick dog fighting investigation heats up. [SI]
* War crimes trial of Charles Taylor begins in absentia. [CNN]
* And finally, some law school-type humor from the Onion: “Supreme Court Reaches Landmark ‘It Depends’ Ruling.” [The Onion (NOT real news!)]

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Nationwide Pay Raise Watch: Morgan Lewis in California; DLA Piper in Chicago

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100 dollar bill Abovethelaw Above the Law law firm salary legal blog legal tabloid Above the Law.JPGIt’s a Friday afternoon. So of course we have associate pay raise news to report.
First, some West Coast developments, from the Legal Pad:

Add Morgan, Lewis & Bockius to the list of Cal Law 25 firms that now pay associates on the $160,000 scale.

The only real holdouts now are Bingham McCutchen and Reed Smith, both huge firms with big California presences and fairly high profits that could probably absorb the raise.

Firms lower on the list with lower profits per partner like Littler Mendelson and Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold likely won’t match.

Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner and Townsend and Townsend and Crew are the only two firms that could seemingly go either way. Townsend had high profits last year, but the firm said that was due in large part to a big one-time contingency fee. Thelen’s profits per partner last year, $850,000, weren’t bad, but it would become the Cal Law 25 firm with the lowest PPP to raise associate salaries.

Update: From a commenter: “The partnership at Bingham should be embarrassed; even the media is calling you out.”
Second, some news from DLA Piper in Chicago. Memo, plus some commentary, after the jump.

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Lawsuit of the Day: Yeoww, Indeed

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Teacher Sues Kids Over Teddy Bear Movie Above the Law abovethelaw blog.JPG
Teacher sues kids over teddy bear movie [CNN]

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Skadden Cristal Boy: An Alternate Account

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Cristal Champagne Louis Roederer Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgWe’ve received a correction of sorts to our earlier item, about a hard-partying summer associate at Skadden in New York. We have no way of verifying whether the original version or the new version of the story is correct, since neither came directly from the summer associate in question. But the latest version does come from a fellow Skadden / New York summer associate, so we’re inclined to credit it.
In some ways it places the SA’s conduct in a better light; in some ways, worse. Here you go:

1. Better: Contrary to the claim of “several bottles of Cristal,” there was only ONE bottle of Cristal, plus “five other bottles — standard bottle service at a club.”

Update: Apparently that “one bottle” was a magnum.

2. Worse: The total tab was not a “multi-hundred dollar bill,” but a grand total of $3,000.

3. Neutral: Two confirmed details from the original account: the story is from this year, not a prior year (sometimes these tales get recycled); and no permanent associates or recruiting personnel were at the event (“an after-after party”).

4. Jaw-dropping: In case you were wondering: YES, the firm paid the cool three-grand bill.

Skadden takes an early lead in the “Best Summer Program” sweepstakes. Party at Four Times Square!!!
(And not just ’cause all those Vogue hotties are in the house…)
Earlier: Summer Associate of the Day: ‘Skadden Cristal Boy’

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Nationwide Pay Raise Watch: Hartford

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Hartford Connecticut Hartford CT Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.JPGIf you care only about associate compensation in major legal markets, stop reading now; do not sully your eyes with this post. But if you have an interest in what associates make outside the biggest cities, keep reading.
Yesterday we covered Denver, to kick off what one commenter described as “Mid-Market Salary Mania.” Today we shine the spotlight on Hartford — aka “New England’s Rising Star” — and Connecticut more generally.
From the Connecticut Law Tribune (subscription):

In the wake of a flurry of first-year salary hikes, two more national firms recently announced pay raises in their Hartford, Conn., branch offices. Their compensation philosophies are starkly different, however.

Dechert increased its Hartford starting salaries in mid-February to $145,000 to match those in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Newport Beach, Calif., and Washington, D.C….

Meanwhile, Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner bumped its entry-level salaries in late February to $105,000 in Hartford, up from $97,500 the year before. That followed an earlier announcement from the firm that it increased rookie compensation to $160,000 in New York and $145,000 in its California, Washington, D.C., and New Jersey offices — decisions that closely mirror the maneuverings of other national firms.

But this was back in March. Has there been significant salary movement in Connecticut since then? If not, any thoughts on if and when CT associates will see their base salaries increase?
Please discuss in the comments. Thanks.
Conn. Big-Law Associates in Line for More Money [Connecticut Law Tribune (subscription)]

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TB Andy: What Do You Think?

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Andrew Speaker Andrew H Speaker Andrew Harley Speaker Above the Law blog.jpgYesterday’s Lawyer of the Day here at ATL, Andrew Speaker, is a 31-year-old personal injury lawyer from Atlanta. He is currently infected with a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis. He got married and honeymooned in Europe, then returned home — initially flying into Canada, from which he drove back to the United States — to have his TB treated.
His critics argue that Andy Speaker, in traveling despite being urged not to by the CDC, endangered his fellow passengers, exposing them to a potentially fatal illness. His defenders point out that he is not symptomatic — and that many of us might have done the same thing in his shoes.
Anyway, enough commentary. You’ve all read a great deal about this story already. Time for a pair of (unscientific and imprecise) reader polls:


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Breaking: Jessica Cutler Files for Bankruptcy

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Jessica Cutler Washingtonienne Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgThis news is a bit mystifying to us. From the Associated Press:

Jessica Cutler, the former Senate aide whose online sex diary landed her a book deal and a Playboy photo spread but got her kicked off Capitol Hill, has filed for bankruptcy….

Cutler has spent much of her time [recently] fending off a lawsuit by ex-boyfriend and fellow DeWine staffer Robert Steinbuch, who claims Cutler’s blog publicly humiliated him. He is seeking more than $20 million in damages.

In court documents filed in the case Thursday, however, Cutler says she can’t even pay her American Express bill, legal fees and student loans. She submitted to the judge a copy of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition filed in New York dated Wednesday.

The lawsuit is being closely watched by online privacy groups and bloggers because the case could help establish whether people who keep online diaries are obligated to protect the privacy of the people they interact with offline.

Our advice to Jessica: retain William P. Smith to represent you in bankruptcy court. You can pay his fees in “Happy Meals.”
On a more serious note: How did the Washingtonienne wind up in this financial predicament?
We’re not so good with math, so please help us out. We run some numbers, after the jump.

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Legal Eagle Wedding Watch: May 2007 Couple of the Month

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Legal%20Eagle%20Wedding%20Watch%20NYT%20wedding%20announcements%20Above%20the%20Law.jpg
Time to take a little Friday afternoon break and vote for ATL’s Legal Eagle Couple of the Month for May 2007!
Last month’s contest was extremely close; we have a feeling this one won’t be, but time will tell. We’ve certainly got plenty of diversity this time: Jews, WASPs, Jersey folk, and law professors!
If you’re ready to vote, here’s the poll. If not, click on the “Continue reading” link below, to study up on our candidate couples.

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Summer Associate of the Day: ‘Skadden Cristal Boy’

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Cristal Champagne Louis Roederer Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgIf you’re a summer associate at a large law firm, wondering how to conduct yourself over the next few weeks, you can consult various “survival guides” (assuming you need instruction on how to “survive” lunches at four-star restaurants). See, e.g., here and here.

But at the end of the day, being a good summer associate is just about demonstrating good judgment. Or at least not horrendous judgment. Heck, even Aquagirl got an offer.

Of course, showing good judgment may be easier said than done. Via the deliciously dishy Skadden Insider blog:

Last week a certain New York Office summer associate decided it was appropriate to expense his bar tab from a post-welcome party night out with a few fellow soon-to-be-3Ls. We’re sure the boys had a blast, given that the bar bill included several bottles of Cristal. The fearless leader of the group — you know, the one who actually had the balls to submit the multi-hundred dollar bill for reimbursement — got a bit of a lecture about judgment and appropriate expenses.

The biggest mistake the boys made, we hear, is that they failed to bring any lawyers with them. Dumb. Always insulate yourselves with an associate or two (or if the bar bill is $900, 20 lawyers) and never, never, never put your credit card down.

Congratulations to “Skadden Cristal Boy.” You are ATL’s Summer Associate of the Day!!!

Update: This post is subject to some corrections. Please click here.

We expect this is just the first of many SA screw-ups over summer 2007. Pursuant to our previous request, please send us your funny, interesting, or embarrassing summer associate stories, by email. Thanks.

Another bottle of Cristal, please [Skadden Insider]
Summer is here: A survival guide [Skadden Insider]
Summer Camp: Eat, drink and be merry [Daily Business Review]

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Nationwide Pay Raise Watch: What’s Up With Jenner & Block?

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Jenner Block LLP Abovethelaw Above the Law blog.jpgSome of you have been clamoring for a post discussing why Jenner & Block has been dragging its feet on associate pay raises. Pretty much all of Jenner’s traditional peer firms have already bumped to the $160K pay scale in Chicago and Washington, DC. Why hasn’t Jenner?
We’ve heard some interesting theories floated to explain Jenner’s slowness. But we’re not in a position to share these rumors until we have more corroboration.
Can you help us out? If you have actual knowledge about what’s going on with Jenner, please email us (subject line: “Jenner & Block”). Thanks.

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Watch I-Bankers Get Pissy With Each Over Email

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laptop computer coffee newspaper Abovethelaw Above the Law.jpgHey, guess what? Lawyers aren’t the only ones who suffer email meltdowns after too many nights of not enough sleep.
Investment bankers do too. See here.
(Of course, these tools probably get paid more than you do.)
When Bankers Break Down! [DealBreaker]

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