Elite Biglaw Firm Joins Top Dollar Scale For Associate Salaries (And Opens A New Office To Boot)
The momentum continues with raises for associates across the country.
As the market seems to be coalescing around a modest salary increase to cover cost of living increases since the Great Associate Cash Fest of 2016 and a tidy summer bonus, the clock’s been ticking on the Am Law Elite to fall into line. It took a whole week for Cravath to embrace the raise Milbank launched upon the world, and another three days after that for Kirkland to concede that the market had truly shifted.
But now that we’re seeing some clarity out there, it’s time for the rest of the top firms to join the festivities, and White & Case has stepped up to the plate. The firm will be matching the prevailing market salaries all the way up the scale (and down the scale… to provide summers a corresponding bump) and providing the summer bonuses that have become standard.
While the memo is addressed to “US Associates & Counsel” there may be some domestic associates left out. After announcing that the firm is “increasing salaries and awarding summer bonuses to US associates in good standing,” it notes that US offices “not on the New York base salary scale” will have raises determined by their offices and passed along on an individual basis. Back in 2016, this language meant that White & Case’s Miami office got left out. But those associates will be seeing a raise of their own, even if it doesn’t match the NY scale.
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(UPDATE: FYI, the Miami Scale is included on the next page as well)
Speaking of offices — and aren’t we always talking about offices — White & Case’s announcement should generate some interest in the Chicago market as well, where the firm announced earlier today that it would be opening a new outpost. The office will be headed up by White & Case partner Jason Zakia, who will relocate from Miami to take on the role, joined by private equity lawyer Gary Silverman, joining White & Case from Greenberg Traurig, and white-collar attorney Carolyn Gurland, who previously ran her own shop. This is the second new office for White & Case this year, having opened in Houston in February.
Congratulations to White & Case associates.
As always, this is the point where we remind all of you that we depend on your tips to stay on top of this stuff. So when your firm matches, please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Raises Salaries”). Please include the memo if available. You can take a photo of the memo and send it via text or email if you don’t want to forward the original PDF or Word file.
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(Check out the full memo on the next page…)
Joe Patrice is an editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.
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