Elite Firm Makes Major Money Moves, Offers Starting Salaries Of $225K
Whoa, check out these salaries!
Ever since Milbank started the latest round of salary wars just last week, a multitude of Biglaw firms have been waiting and watching to see if another firm would step in to one-up the game (ahem, Davis Polk) or bless the new salary scale with its approval (ahem, Cravath). While others have been twiddling their thumbs and waiting to take action, one firm has decided to offer even bigger and better salaries to reward associates for their hard work.
The firm we’re speaking about is Dovel & Luner, a California litigation boutique that specializes in plaintiff-side litigation on a contingency fee basis. The firm is tiny, but its salary structure sure is mighty. Check out the latest pay scale:
| Class | Annual Salary |
| 1st year | $225,000 |
| 2nd year | $235,000 |
| 3rd year | $260,000 |
| 4th year | $295,000 |
| 5th year | $335,000 |
| 6th year | $360,000 |
If you like these salaries, you should see the firm’s bonuses, which are directly tied to the firm’s success. Dovel & Luner’s bonuses typically beat Biglaw’s market scale bonuses by multiples — sometimes rising to amounts as high as $700,000. On top of that, the firm’s clerkship bonus is an astonishing $140,000. If you’re thinking about making a lateral move, this firm seems like it could be a nice place to make your new home.
Congratulations to Dovel & Luner for raising its first-year salary to an envious $225,000. What an achievement! Will more firms follow in its footsteps?
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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.
