Top 50 Biglaw Firm Handing Out Year-End And Special Bonuses

There's also extra money on the table -- but only if you billed a ton of hours.

happy woman pumping fists ecstatic celebrates success under a money rain falling downBonuses are making their way through Biglaw! By and large, the industry had a successful year, and firms are sharing that monetary success with the attorneys who made it all possible. That’s good news for associates who spent the year billing and could use some extra cash to (probably) pay down their student loans.

The latest firm to announce bonuses — of both the annual and special varieties — is Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer. The firm made $961,900,000 in gross revenue last year, making it 46th on the Am Law 100. As expected, the firm will be matching the prevailing market rate on those bonuses.

Associates in good standing will get bonuses according to the following grid:

  Year-End Bonus Special Bonus
Class of 2021 $15,000
Class of 2020 $20,000 $4,000
Class of 2019 $30,000 $6,000
Class of 2018 $57,500 $11,500
Class of 2017 $75,000 $15,000
Class of 2016 $90,000 $18,000
Class of 2015 $105,000 $21,000
Class of 2014+ $115,000 $23,000

The firm also said that supplemental year-end bonuses — valued at 20 percent of an associate’s year-end bonus — are available. But (and it’s a big but), only for those who worked 2,600 hours (2,400 of which must be billable).

You can read the full memo on the next page.

*** Wondering if the grass is greener on the in-house side? Click here for a look inside the black box of corporate counsel pay in our 2021 In-House Compensation Report. ***

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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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