Big money isn’t just for Biglaw anymore. Once Milbank kicked off the latest round of salary wars, boutique firms wasted little time getting in on the compensation action. Now, another elite litigation shop is matching the market.
Houston litigation boutique Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing P.C., better known as AZA, is once again going over the top for its associates. Last year, when firms scrambled to match the new $225,000 salary scale, AZA raised first-year associate pay to $235,000. Now that $235,000 has become the new Biglaw standard, the firm is making a full-blown match.
Effective July 1, AZA will increase salaries by $10,000 for its first- through four-year associates, while more senior associates in their fifth through eighth years will receive performance-based raises. First-years will remain at $235,000 for the time being. Monica Udin, AZA’s hiring partner, summed up the firm’s approach this way: “Excellence is expensive, but our people are worth it!”
Congratulations to everyone at AZA!
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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.