White & Case has announced it’s matching the market on both year-end and special bonuses for its US associates and counsel.
The firm — 9th on the Am Law 100 with over $3.3 billion in gross revenue — is joining the market consensus and handing out the standard Cravath-scale year-end bonuses alongside the Milbank summer special bonuses. While boutique firms remain willing to blow the top off the bonus structure, it’s looking like the biggest firms are all falling into line.
Is there any hope for a firm to buck the trend? Time will tell.
Here’s the breakdown:
For those keeping score at home, that’s a combined $140,000 for the most senior associates. Not too shabby.
The bonuses will be paid on February 13, 2026 — just in time for associates to make that big, romantic purchase for the Valentine’s Day that they’ll miss while reviewing and revising choice of law clauses all weekend.
The good news is that White & Case associates can now plan accordingly. The bad news is that February is still three months away, which is an eternity in Biglaw billing cycles.
Congratulations to everyone at White & Case. May your billable hours be high and your bonus eligibility requirements be easily met.
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<em>You can see the full memo on the next page.</em>
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter or Bluesky if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.