Not All Law Firms Think They Need To Hand Out Big Raises And Bonuses To Attract The Best Talent

They've got other perks that will help them compete in the lateral market.

onDecember 27, 2021 at 2:48 PMDecember 27, 2021 at 2:31 PM

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We don’t have any interest in the salary wars, or the bonus wars that are underway. We don’t think that that’s healthy.

— Kristina Lawson, managing partner of Hanson Bridgett, a California-based midsize firm, commenting on the firm’s refusal to openly participate in offering the outsized raises and bonuses that have swept the market at law firms of all sizes during what could be the hottest lateral market on record. While the firm raised 2022 starting salaries to $170,000, leaders did not consider matching the prevailing Biglaw market scale. Hanson Bridgett instead offers other benefits, like one-month sabbaticals for lawyers who have been with the firm for three years and have met performance goals.

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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.