Another elite Biglaw firm bites the dust when it comes to the spring 2021 bonus wars. After waiting a week and a half to see how this would play out, Sullivan & Cromwell has arrived. Is another immediate match afoot?
Before we get to that, in case you need a little refresher on spring special bonuses, first came Willkie, which started the latest bonus game in the first place. Next came Davis Polk, which blew the Willkie scale out of the water, and other firms matched it one by one (and now more than two dozen firms have done so).
And now the news you’ve been waiting for. SullCrom’s black bonus box has been smashed open, and it looks like the firm will be matching DPW’s generous scale (full memo available on the next page):
Best Practices In Trust Accounting: What Every Lawyer Needs To Know
Learn legal trust accounting best practices to ensure compliance and protect client funds. Discover expert tips to set your firm up for success.
- Class of 2020: $12,000
- Class of 2019: $16,000
- Class of 2018: $32,000
- Class of 2017: $44,000
- Class of 2016: $52,000
- Class of 2015: $59,200
- Class of 2014: $64,000
As usual at the firm, there are no hours requirements attached to these bonuses (which are backloaded, just like DPW’s), which will be paid out on April 30 and September 30. Congratulations to everyone at the firm!
(Flip to the next page to see the full memo from Sullivan & Cromwell.)
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.
2025 Legal Industry Report: Key Insights for Law Firm Growth & Efficiency
Is your firm keeping up with legal finance and tech trends? The 2025 Legal Industry Report shows how firms optimize cash flow, automate payments, and use AI. Download now for key insights.
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 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.