Biglaw

BREAKING: Biglaw Bonuses Are Here!!!

No, Cravath didn't make the first move this year.

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Bonus season has officially arrived — and it’s here SUPER early!

It’s actually a bit shocking that Biglaw bonus season is here so soon. This is actually the earliest that Biglaw bonuses have been announced since 2009. But what comes as an even bigger shocker is the fact that Cravath was not the firm to make the first move on year-end bonuses. That’s right, Biglaw associates can once again thank the firm that brought about the $190K salary scale for their early bonuses. Thank you, Milbank!

So, let’s get into the details. What do the bonuses look like this year?

Class of 2019 – $15,000 (pro-rated)
Class of 2018 – $15,000
Class of 2017 – $25,000
Class of 2016 – $50,000
Class of 2015 – $65,000
Class of 2014 – $80,000
Class of 2013 – $90,000
Class of 2012 – $100,000
Class of 2011 – $100,000

If you recall, these are the exact same bonuses that were handed out last year (and 72 percent of our survey respondents thought this would be exactly what happened). But you may also recall that earlier this week, we reminded everyone that if 2019’s year-end bonuses were the same as last year’s, overall bonus compensation would be substantially lower than in 2018, since associates at many high-end firms also received special summer bonuses. Perhaps Cravath will come swooping in with some higher bonus bucks for associates? We suppose we’ll find out as bonus season unfolds.

Bonuses at the Milbank will be paid on or before December 31st, meaning associates may miss out on holiday gift spending, but will surely have a very happy new year.

Read the full bonus memo on the next page.

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Remember everyone, we depend on your tips to stay on top of important bonus updates, so when your firm matches, please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Matches”). 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.

And if you’d like to sign up for ATL’s Bonus Alerts (which is the alert list we also use for salary announcements), please scroll down and enter your email address in the box below this post. If you previously signed up for the bonus alerts, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive an email notification within minutes of each bonus announcement that we publish. Thanks for all of your help!

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked 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.

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