[They] can pretty much go wherever they want on whatever terms they want. I have not seen a [signing] bonus lower than $15,000 and I have seen as high as $75,000. In some cases, people are asking for specific bonuses. For example, the amount that would extinguish their student loan debt.
— Kate Reder Sheikh, a San Francisco-based recruiter for Major Lindsey & Africa, commenting on perks that corporate, capital markets, and M&A associates have been able to ask for and receive during their lateral searches. Sheikh also said she’s seen Biglaw firms offer higher base salaries outside of the regular class-year lockstep formula for some associate job candidates.
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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.