A quick update on yesterday's post about Seyfarth Shaw. A source there tells us:

Here are the "official" numbers for Seyfarth NYC and "Others," excluding Atlanta (no idea where they are -- presumably lower). Great for the mid/upper classes, but no so great for 1st-2nd years. Some grumbling also from income partners since they don't get paid a whole lot more than a senior associate and have to deal with all the administrative headaches associated with income partner status.

For those of you who are interested, the salary ranges appear after the jump.

We've confirmed the news, which surfaced previously in the comments, about the pay raise announcement by Seyfarth Shaw. Here's what one source told us:

The Chicago office had an all-associate meeting [yesterday]. First- and second-year associates will stay lockstep -- $145K for first years, $155K for second years -- while third- through eighth-years will get "market" base salary ranges. Not clear where anyone will fall in the ranges yet, since we don't find out until the week of March 3.

The bonus pool remains the same as last year, which means no "extraordinary" bonuses. (But there seems to be room to reward top performers one way or another.)

The managing partner of the office made a crack about sending him anonymous questions by posting them "on Wikipedia," so perhaps it's time for a higher profile for you.

Additional information, including ranges for selected classes, after the jump.

The law firm perks keep rolling in. From a source at Seyfarth Shaw:

Following the recent trend of enhanced BigLaw perks, Seyfarth announced changes to their leave policy for associates. Previously, associates were given 4 weeks of vacation per year. Now, associates can now take (at least hypothetically) as much leave as they want so long as they get their work done.

This was a bit of a non-event given that associates can't even find time to take their original 4 weeks of vacation, but the sentiment was nice anyway.

What Seyfarth associates are really waiting for are the "Associates Meetings" scheduled for this week. Word on the street is that salaries are going up. How much they will go up is the real question.

But don't get too excited, people -- we're not talking "NY to 190." Recall that, at least outside New York, Seyfarth is not yet on the $160K scale (at least according to their NALP forms).

The Seyfarth Shaw vacation memo, after the jump.

The law firm of Seyfarth Shaw cordially invites its associates... to toast their own obsolescence. Check out the invite below, for "a cocktail reception to welcome the group of attorneys visiting from Manthan Services in Bangalore, India."

Our tipster wonders: "Why pay first-years $160,000 a year for legal research (or document review), when you can use a lawyer from India at a fraction of the cost?"

Earlier: Nationwide Worldwide Pay Raise Watch: Mumbai to $8,160?

Sometimes the partners don't like it if you gorge yourself on "their" candy. But yesterday was different. We hope you had a Happy Halloween!!! (And that you're not too hungover from last night's partying.)

How did your firm celebrate this spooky occasion? Seyfarth Shaw went all out:

Halloween treats were served in a mock coffin. The menu included blood-red cupcakes decorated with bleeding fangs and bats to be washed down with Jones soda in limited edition ghoulish flavors (Lemon Drop Dead, Strawberry Slime, and Gruesome Grape).

And you thought paying $145K was scary enough!

Please share amusing Halloween anecdotes -- partners in crazy costumes, conference rooms converted into haunted houses, etc. -- in the comments. Thanks.

P.S. For your reading pleasure, here's a Halloween-themed link, from yesterday's WSJ Law Blog: The Legal Implications of Throwing Eggs. Executive summary: think twice before TP'ing that partner's mailbox.

Update: The Department of Justice got into the Halloween spirit:

Despite the travails of the Department, our emergency response and preparedness staff are on the job. No, I'm not referring to providing assistance to wildfire-torn California. I'm talking about dressing your children in flame-retardant Halloween costumes and ensuring your home is well lit to " to prevent injuries to little ghosts and goblins." Our tax dollars at work! (See email sent out to DOJ employees below.)

The email appears after the jump.

Or maybe it is. From a tipster:

Several offices of Seyfarth Shaw met yesterday and today to discuss the results of the Am-Law Mid-Level Associate Survey, as well as those from an internal survey distributed. [T]he data revealed in these surveys reflected a considerable level of dissatisfaction from associates regarding a variety of areas, and [discussion was held] to cover some of the things the firm is doing to address them (as discussed at the Partners retreat in late September).

When this non-descript "Associates Meeting" was announced last week, most of the associates believed it was to discuss that fact that Seyfarth was finally going to get off ATL's List of Shame and raise to 160k. However, to our surprise, the whole issue of salaries was completely glanced over. It was merely conveyed that the Compensation Committee was still compiling data regarding recent "market trends in compensation" and would be "meeting" (not necessarily deciding anything) in December.

Seyfarth really continues to amaze....

Okay, so you're getting below-market pay (except in New York, where associates start at $160K). But look on the bright side -- at least your firm makes awesome videos! From an earlier message:

I am not sure how you can get your hands on this, but Seyfarth Shaw did a professional-quality "MTV-Cribs" spoof for the opening of its new Chicago office last fall where Steve Poor (managing partner) walked around in a Hugh Heffner-style smoking jacket showing off the firms new office space. It was clearly a joke (unlike the Nixon Peabody fiasco) and the firm showed it to the new first year associates during first year orientation. However, I would pay money to see that video again....it was hilarious!

If any of you has a copy of said video, or knows how one might be obtained, you know where to reach us.

We have a few associate pay raise developments to report this morning. Some of these items were announced some time ago, but they haven't written about in these pages until now. Here they are:

1. Arent Fox: The firm now pays a starting salary of $160,000 in New York, D.C., and California, according to the firm website, which a tipster pointed out to us. (But that $20,000 clerkship bonus is pretty chintzy.)

2. Seyfarth Shaw: The firm, which dragged its feet on the last pay raise, has no current plans to raise again. From a Chicago associate:

"Our executive committee recently had a meeting and it was decided that salaries would not be raised to 160K for offices outside of New York. Chicago will continue to be behind market. I'm not so sure about the Boston, D.C. and L.A. offices, but if Chicago is not bumping, those offices are most likely staying behind as well. Maybe you should do one of those Baker & McKenzie and Greenberg Traurig bar charts on Monday morning for Seyfarth Chicago. As much as this firm is trying to be a major Chi-town player, it isn't paying like one. We are pretty bummed."

3. LeBoeuf Lamb: The firm has raised to the $160K scale in its Houston office. Memo after the jump.

Hey, guess what? Seyfarth Shaw held some "focus groups" with its associates, and the focus groups told them: WE WANT MORE MONEY!!!

And Seyfarth Shaw, despite prior expressions of reluctance, decided to go along. Their memo, announcing associate pay raises, appears after the jump.

We have to step away for a bit. In the meantime, here's an open thread to talk about a topic that never gets tired: associate compensation.

We can't keep track of the different "lists of shame" that have been developed. But if you can, please propound them in the comments.

To provide some fodder for additional discussion, we reprint an interesting email from a tipster about Seyfarth Shaw. Check it out, after the jump.

The buck -- or bucks, as the case may be -- had to stop somewhere. And one would expect it to stop well before Seyfarth Shaw, the lowest-ranked law firm on our LIST OF SHAME.

(It's #100 on the Vault 100 list, but higher on the AmLaw 100 -- #66.)

Recently the firm sent around a memo indicating that they won't be moving off the List of Shame, at least for the time being. Check it out, along with our commentary, after the jump.