Top 30 Biglaw Firm Sends Bonuses To The Moon For Associates With Sky-High Billable Hours

Big money for the firm's biggest billers!

Happy businesswoman flying on rocket and holding dollar money bagsSome elite Biglaw firms are known for offering market-beating bonuses for their biggest billers. Year after year, they prove that they’re willing to pay for the most committed legal talent by adding tens of thousands of dollars to their regular year-end bonus payouts.

One of those firms is Quinn Emanuel.

Hot on the heels of announcing that it would allow its lawyers to work remotely, indefinitely, from anywhere in the country, the top 30 Am Law firm unveiled its 2021 bonus matrix. As usual, there are some pretty big rewards in store for those who truly dedicated their lives to the firm.

Associates who billed between 2100 and 2399 hours will receive a bonus equal to the market rate (the original Cravath year-end bonus with the Davis Polk special bonus on top). Big billers start raking in more cash at 2400 hours. Depending on class year, those who billed 2400 hours or more will receive up to $23,000 more than market, while those who billed 2700 hours or more will receive up to $40,250 more than market, not including special bonuses.

Check out the Quinn Emanuel matrix below:

Quinn Emanuel 2021 Bonus Scale

This year, the firm is offering partial bonuses to those who had hours between 2000-2099, and as usual, the firm is rounding associates up to market bonuses if they just missed the 2100 cutoff, with special bonuses “paid proportionally” to those who missed the 2100-hour mark.

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Congratulations to everyone at Quinn Emanuel on a fantastic year!

*** 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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Staci ZaretskyStaci 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.


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