Litigation Firm Wows With Bonuses That Average Way Above Biglaw

Bigger than Biglaw where it counts.

money bonus Dollar symbol in red Santa Claus hatBiglaw bonuses are nice and all, but turns out, they can be bigger. With increasing frequency, the legal market is finding boutique law firms might be smaller, but the bonuses can be bigger. Way bigger.

Litigation powerhouse Kellogg Hansen announced bonuses, and, as per their custom, they are way above market. It isn’t much of a surprise; the firm’s base compensation ranges from $245,000 – $370,000, at a clip of $30,000 – $70,000 over Biglaw.

What, precisely, does “above market” bonuses mean at Kellogg Hansen this year? According to an internal email from Michael Kellogg, for the four most senior classes, the average bonus is just under $300,000. And even junior associates are taking home more money than the Biglaw standard. But the eye-popping top bonus is an impressive $400,000.

When the firm says they are committed to paying above market, they mean it.

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*** 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. ***

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.

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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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