After A Tumultuous Year, Biglaw's Supplemental Bonuses Are A Prize For Just A Few
How many associates are *really* getting bonuses on top of bonuses?
[Biglaw’s supplemental bonuses for high billers] are meant to be a really feel-good move for a very small number of people. The firms that are doing the premiums for really high hours are well aware that there aren’t that many people who are going to meet the bar, based on the fact that hours across the board have been so much lower this year.
— Kate Reder Sheikh, a recruiter and partner in Major, Lindsey & Africa’s associate practice group, in comments given to the American Lawyer, on all of the Biglaw firms that have announced supplemental bonuses for those associates who have billed over their hours targets in 2022. Sheikh went on to say she’d be “shocked” if bonus premiums weren’t hours-related, since “hours are the currency of the law.” Click here to see which firms are awarding extra bonuses to associates.
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.
