Since we broke the news of the market bonus scale for associates at large law firms in the United States — a trend that was started by Cravath on Monday, November 27, 2017 — many firms have quickly fallen in line and matched (or sometimes beaten) the scale. It’s still quite early in bonus season, so we’ve yet to hear from firms offering statements on why they’ve failed to match the market, and dozens upon dozens of firms have remained completely silent.
As we did when the new associate salary scale was announced by Cravath in June 2016, we are compiling a table of all the firms that have already matched the new bonus scale, the markets where those bonus matches were made, the minimum hours required to receive those bonuses (if available), and the date those bonuses will be paid. Today, we unveil that table for your viewing pleasure. We will be updating this table on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times, as news on bonuses is announced. If you see any information here that is incorrect or needs clarification, let us know.
Help us help you now (and if/when you decide to make a lateral move in the future). Let us know what your firm’s minimum billable hours targets are for bonus eligibility and when your firm will pay those bonuses. You generally must remain at your firm until the payout date to receive them, as stated in most memos, which could make it all the more difficult for you to leave your place of employment.
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As a little reminder, we love covering the Biglaw bonus season, but we need your help. As soon as your firm’s bonus memo comes out, please email it to us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Bonus”). We always keep our sources on bonus stories anonymous. There’s no need to send the memo using your firm email account; your personal email account is fine. Please be sure to include the memo as proof; we like to post complete bonus memos as a service to our readers. You can take a photo of the memo and attach as a picture if you are worried about metadata in a PDF or Word file.
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| Firm | Date Matched | Offices Matched | Minimum Hours | Payout Date |
| Cravath Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
FIRST MOVER November 27, 2017 |
New York, NY | None | December 15, 2017 |
| Milbank Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
November 27, 2016 | All U.S. Offices | None | December 29, 2017 |
| Paul Weiss Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2010+: $100K |
November 27, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | December 22, 2017 |
| Simpson Thacher Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
November 28, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | December 29, 2017 |
| Debevoise Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2010+: $100K |
November 28, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | “Payable at year-end” |
| Cleary Gottlieb Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009+: $100K |
November 28, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | December 22, 2017 |
| Weil Gotshal Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
November 28, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | January 31, 2018 |
| Skadden Class of 2017: $5K Class of 2009: $100K |
November 28, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 1800 hours | December 15, 2017 |
| Norton Rose Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
November 28, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 2300 hours to receive market bonus | January 2018 |
| Cadwalader Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
November 28, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 2200+ hours will receive 120% of market bonus | Last full week of February 2018 |
| Proskauer Rose Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
November 28, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | December 22, 2017 |
| Linklaters Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
November 29, 2017 | All U.S. Associates, Worldwide | None | December 22, 2017 |
| Dechert Class of 2016: $15K Class of 2010+: $100K |
November 29, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 1950 “bonus hours” | January 23, 2018 |
| Clifford Chance Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009+: $100K |
November 29, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | January 12, 2018 |
| Shearman & Sterling Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2010+: $100K |
November 29, 2017 | All U.S. Track Associates | None | January 12, 2018 |
| Covington & Burling Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2010+: $100K |
November 29, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | “End of January 2018” |
| Kaplan & Company LLC Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
November 29, 2017 | New York, NY | None | Undisclosed |
| Winston & Strawn Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2010: $100K |
November 29, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 2000 hours; additional to those who “substantially exceed” 2000 hours | “Early February 2018” |
| Allen & Overy Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
November 29, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | Undisclosed |
| Willkie Farr Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2010+: $100K |
November 30, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | December 22, 2017 |
| Freshfields Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009+: $100K |
November 30, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | December 30, 2017 |
| Ropes & Gray Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2015: $25K Class of 2014+: Determined individually |
November 30, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 1900 hours (including pro bono) | December 22, 2017 |
| Fried Frank Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009+: $100K |
December 1, 2017 | All U.S. Offices + London | 2000 for market bonus (incl. 425 in pro bono and certain other non-billable hours); bonuses 15 or 30% above market at the 2200- and 2450-hour marks | Undisclosed |
| Davis Polk Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2010+: $100K |
December 1, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | December 22, 2017 |
| Akin Gump Class of 2016: $15K Class of 2009: $100K |
December 1, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 1950 hours; 1950+ hours for above-market bonuses based on class years, ranging from $5,000 – $25,000 | Undisclosed |
| Kasowitz Benson Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $150K |
December 1, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 2150 hours (incl.all pro bono, new business development, new matters in process, recruiting, Kasowitz University, and certain other non-billable hours) | January 31, 2018 |
| Holwell Shuster Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2010+: $100K |
December 4, 2017 | New York, NY | None | December 15, 2017 |
| Wilkinson Walsh Class of 2016: $22.5K Class of 2010+: $150K |
December 4, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | December 15, 2017 |
| Hueston Hennigan 30-50% of associate’s base salary |
December 5, 2017 | Los Angeles, CA & Newport Beach, CA | Based on class year, hours, and quality of work | Undisclosed |
| Morgan Lewis Class of 2016: $15K Class of 2010+: $100K |
December 8, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 1900 hours (20 of which must be pro bono hours) and satisfactory performance review | Undisclosed |
| Bursor & Fisher Not lockstep; above Cravath scale at every level; top bonus of $430K went to 4th-year associate |
December 6-10, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | Based on criteria like business origination and revenue | Undisclosed |
| Susman Godfrey Class of 2015: Median $45K Class of 2010+: Median $170K |
December 11, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | Undisclosed |
| Sidley Austin Class of 2016: Base bonus $15K Class of 2009+: Base bonus $100K |
December 13, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 2000 hours | December 22, 2017 |
| Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer Class of 2017: $15K Class of 2010+: $100K |
December 13, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 2000 hours (including up to 200 hours of pro bono or other qualifying non-billable); special bonuses for 2400+ hours | End of January 2018 |
| Sullivan & Cromwell Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
December 13, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | Undisclosed |
| Gibson Dunn Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
December 14, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | Undisclosed |
| Cahill Gordon Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) + special bonus $0 Class of 2009: $100K + special bonus $50K |
December 15, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None | Special bonuses: January 5, 2018; regular bonuses: second half of January 2018 |
| Bryan Cave Class of 2016: $10K-$30k Class of 2012+: $20K-$60K |
December 15, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | Baseline of 1900 hours, up to 2300 hours for higher bonus amounts | December 22, 2017 |
| Schulte Roth & Zabel Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2008: $100K |
December 19, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | $20K additional for 2300 hours; $20K additional for 2500 hours ($40K total for satisfying both thresholds) | January 19, 2018 |
| Hogan Lovells Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
December 19, 2017 (date discretionary bonuses announced) | All U.S. Offices | 2000 hours | Undisclosed |
| Kirkland & Ellis Class of 2016: $15.7K baseline Class of 2011: $94.5K baseline |
December 19, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | None; average associate bonus is 30-40% higher than Cravath scale across all years | Undisclosed |
| Haynes & Boone Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
December 19, 2017 | Dallas, TX | None | Undisclosed |
| Sheppard Mullin Class of 2015/16: $15K Class of 2009: $100K |
December 19, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 2200+ hours for market-match bonus; fewer/greater hours equal lower/higher bonuses | Undisclosed |
| Irell & Manella Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) + $7.5K “good year” bonus Class of 2010: $100K + $40K “good year” bonus |
December 21, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Morrison & Foerster Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2010+: $100K |
December 21, 2017 | New York, NY | Undisclosed; additional bonus money for 2500+ hours | February 15, 2018 |
| Quinn Emanuel Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
December 21, 2017 | All U.S. Offices | 2100-2399 hours for market-match bonus; more hours equal higher bonuses | February 15, 2018 |
| Goodwin Procter Class of 2016: $15K Class of 2010+: $100K |
January 17, 2018 | All U.S. Offices | 1950 hours (35% of associates received an amount greater than their class amount, 60% received their class amount, and 5% received less than their class amount) | January 25, 2018 |
| Wilson Sonsini Class of 2017: $15K (pro-rated) Class of 2009: $100K |
January 18, 2018 | All U.S. Offices | Undisclosed | January 31, 2018 |
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Staci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.