Biglaw bonus season is in full swing, with firms stepping in left and right to match Cravath’s year-end bonuses and Milbank’s special bonuses, but things are about to get even hotter, because one of the boutiques is here to play. This firm went over the top in a major way — including on their bigger and better special bonuses.
Yesterday afternoon, D.C.-based litigation boutique Wilkinson Stekloff announced year-end bonuses that are 150% of market bonuses. On top of those bonuses, let’s not forget that the firm announced their own set of special bonuses back in April — ranging from $25,000 to $60,000 — before Milbank’s special summer bonuses were even in play. This is what the firm’s incredibly generous bonus scale looks like:
| Class Year | Year-End Bonus | Spring Bonus | Total Bonus |
| 2025 | $22,500 | N/A | $22,500 |
| 2024 | $30,000 | $25,000 | $55,000 |
| 2023 | $45,000 | $30,000 | $75,000 |
| 2022 | $86,250 | $35,000 | $121,250 |
| 2021 | $112,500 | $40,000 | $152,500 |
| 2020 | $135,000 | $45,000 | $180,000 |
| 2019 | $157,500 | $50,000 | $207,500 |
| 2018 | $172,500 | $55,000 | $227,500 |
| 2017+ | $172,500 | $60,000 | $232,500 |
Associates at Wilkinson will be earning $1,500 to $87,500+ more than those at Biglaw firms on the market bonus scale. Now THESE are big-time bonuses!
“As we approach the firm’s 10th year anniversary in January, the firm continues to grow and evolve while staying true to its founding principles of providing exceptional client service in high stakes litigation and developing the next generation of trial lawyers,” Brian Stekloff, the firm’s founding partner, shared in a message to all of his colleagues at the firm. “We are deeply proud of the results you deliver, including in many impactful pro bono matters.”
Associates will receive their bonuses on December 15. Counsel bonuses will be communicated separately.
Congratulations to everyone at Wilkinson Stekloff!
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Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of 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.