While Biglaw firms are scrambling to match Milbank’s generous year-end and special bonuses, boutique firms really mean business when it comes to compensation. They recruit the best and brightest lawyers and reward them handsomely with top bonuses that often exceed the market. The latest boutique to announce bonuses for associates is no different.
Selendy Gay just announced that it would be blowing away the market bonus scale for the seventh year in a row. This is what base bonuses, plus special bonuses, look like at the elite boutique:
| Class Year | Regular Bonus | Special Bonus | Combined Bonus |
| 2017+ | $132,250 | $25,000 | $157,250 |
| 2018 | $120,750 | $25,000 | $145,750 |
| 2019 | $103,500 | $25,000 | $128,500 |
| 2020 | $86,250 | $20,000 | $106,250 |
| 2021 | $66,125 | $15,000 | $81,125 |
| 2022 | $34,500 | $10,000 | $44,500 |
| 2023 | $23,000 | $6,000 | $29,000 |
| 2024 | $17,250 | $6,000 | $23,250 |
Selendy’s bonuses are already 15% higher than the Biglaw numbers across the board — but some associates will wind up receiving bonuses up to more than 50% higher than the prevailing market rate, based on performance, hours, and firm citizenship. These huge bonuses will hit bank accounts on December 13.
Congratulations to all Selendy Gay associates on their big-time bonuses!
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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.