VINSON & ELKINS — MEMORANDUM — ASSOCIATE BONUSES
From: Kelly, Mark
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2017
To: All Associates – Firm
Cc: All Partners – Firm; Talent Management – FIRM
Subject: Bonus Message to All Associates
We are pleased to announce that associate compensation letters will be distributed today and bonus amounts will be deposited on January 31, 2017.
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Our goal is to pay our associates at competitive levels in each of our offices, while affording our top performing associates an opportunity to earn above market bonuses. At the Management Committee’s direction, our practice group leaders and talent leads awarded bonuses this year based on excellence, overall performance and productivity. While bonuses are not based solely on productivity levels, productivity continues to be a major factor in bonus decisions. This year, our first-level bonus in all of our offices is as follows:
| Class Year | First Level Bonus* |
| 2008+ | $100,000 |
| 2009 | $100,000 |
| 2010 | $90,000 |
| 2011 | $80,000 |
| 2012 | $65,000 |
| 2013 | $50,000 |
| 2014 | $25,000 |
| 2015 | $15,000 |
| 2016 | Prorated portion of the $15,000 first year bonus based on hire date. |
*London Solicitors will be paid the US dollar amounts converted to GBP.
In addition, associates who had an extraordinary year had an opportunity to earn between 1.10 and 1.35 times the first level bonus.
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As in the past, all pro bono hours and firm credit hours counted towards qualifying for the first level bonus. Bonuses are subject to the usual proration based upon part-time schedules, leaves of absence and hire date.
Your practice group leader or talent lead will be pleased to answer any questions you have about your individual bonus. Associate reviews will be delivered in early February.
On behalf of the partnership, we thank you for your hard work and valuable contributions allowing V&E to deliver excellence in client service.
Mark [Kelly] and Scott [Wulfe]
VINSON & ELKINS — MEMORNADUM — STAFF BONUSES
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David Lat is the founder and managing editor of Above the Law and the author of Supreme Ambitions: A Novel. He previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Newark, New Jersey; a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; and a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. You can connect with David on Twitter (@DavidLat), LinkedIn, and Facebook, and you can reach him by email at [email protected].