Another day, another elite law boutique that’s offering bonuses to their associates that blow the prevailing market bonuses at Biglaw firms out of the water.
Litigation powerhouse Kellogg Hansen recently announced special bonuses, and of course they’re way above market. It isn’t much of a surprise; the firm’s base compensation ranges have been on top of the Biglaw scale for years, and their year-end bonuses are huge too. This just lines Kellogg associates’ pockets with even more money.
So what, exactly, does an “above market” special bonus look like at Kellogg Hansen? While Biglaw associates are receiving $6,000 to $25,000 associates at the firm will be receiving much, much more. According to an internal email from Michael Kellogg, all associate classes as well as of counsel will be receiving big-time special bonuses on the following scale:
Associate Year 1 (joined the firm in 2024) – $30,000
Associate Year 2 – $35,000
Associate Year 3 – $40,000
Associate Year 4 – $45,000
Associate Year 5 – $50,000
Associate Year 6 – $55,000
Of Counsel – $60,000
These bonuses come in addition to the firm’s year-end bonuses, which are usually gigantic for almost every class year. Stay tuned, because those are set to be announced soon.
Congratulations to everyone at Kellogg Hansen!
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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.