Everything's Bigger In Texas, Including The Law Firm Bonuses
Yeehaw! Associates at this firm can lasso some super-'kool' bonuses if they bill enough.
We absolutely love it when law firms keep it cool by matching Milbank’s generous year-end bonus scale… or in this case, we suppose they’re keeping it “kool.”
Sources report that McKool Smith — the Texas-based complex trial firm that’s been handing out money to associates hand over fist for years — announced its year-end bonuses last week, and it’s not surprising that the firm is matching Milbank. As a cherry on top of this bonus sundae, the firm is offering additional cash to associates who have diligently attended to their billable hours obligations, with some attorneys walking away with bonuses exceeding the Milbank scale by more than 35%.
You may recall that McKool Smith was one of the few firms to offer up bonuses this past summer, ranging from $2,500 to $30,000, based on their annualized billable hours. Associates still have the opportunity to true-up their summer bonus money if they move into another hours-based bonus tier by year’s end, so they’ll be able to make even more money.
All in all, associates at the firm are ending the year with a really nice chunk of change. Congratulations to everyone at McKool Smith!
Remember everyone, we depend on your tips to stay on top of compensation updates, so when your firm announces or matches, please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Bonus/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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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 Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
