Gay Gross-Up

Morning Docket: 11.04.13

* Judge Richard Posner is the latest judge to have admitted to making a possible error (which he later endlessly recanted), but hey, if he was wrong, at least he was wrong in a “responsible, informed, and fair-minded way.” [National Law Journal] * After being unceremoniously tossed off New York’s stop and frisk case by the Second Circuit for her supposed “partiality,” Judge Shira Scheindlin has been replaced by Judge Analisa Torres. Best of luck — you might need it. [New York Law Journal] * Will Judge Scheindlin’s removal have a chilling effect on judicial speech? Lat thinks it would cause judges to “hide underneath their robes” even more than they already do. [Room for Debate / New York Times] * The Biglaw gay gross-up marches on: it’s funny that the most conservative industry is outpacing others in terms of progressive benefits for LGBT employees and families. [Capital Business / Washington Post] * “The U.S. is facing a paradox surrounding access to justice,” says ABA President James Silkenat, who is trying to kill two birds with one stone by pairing unemployed lawyers with poor clients. [Am Law Daily] * Bernie Goetz (aka the New York subway vigilante) was arrested on pot charges after allegedly offering to get an undercover cop high. We’ve got a feeling his new nickname will be “Burnie.” [New York Daily News]

The Supreme Court Rules In Two Major Gay Marriage Cases

Finally! The Supreme Court's long-awaited rulings on gay marriage in California and the Defense of Marriage Act. What did the Court rule?

Biglaw Perk Watch: Adoption Benefits<br><em>(Plus an update on the gay gross-up.)</em>

Which major law firms offer benefits that cover adoption and/or surrogacy costs? Plus an update on the gay gross-up (aka "tax equalization for same-sex health benefits").

Biglaw Perk Watch: Tax Equalization for Same-Sex Health Benefits

Which major law firms now offer the tax offset for domestic partner health benefits?

More Firms Stand Up For Marriage Equality

Which major law firms now offer the tax offset for domestic partner health benefits?

Where My Boies At? Some Wonder About April Bonuses at Boies Schiller

Some associates at Boies Schiller are wondering about missing or smaller April bonus payments. What's going on?

A Biglaw Firm Institutes A Smaller Hours Requirement

One Biglaw firm is actually lowering its hours requirement. And instituting a new adoption / surrogacy benefit too. Could these trends spread?

Biglaw Perk Watch: Deterring Dependents

Biglaw benefits haven't been frozen in time since 2007. We have extensively reported on the "gay gross up" (or “tax equalization for same-sex health benefits”) trend. But there have been some interesting health benefit trends happening at law firms beyond extending basic fairness to same-sex couples. Adam Okun has done a round-up of Biglaw perks on the blog Frenkely Speaking. It's not going to come as a galloping shock that Biglaw is punishing to families....

Biglaw Perk Watch: Has the Gay Gross-Up Hit the Tipping Point?

It’s late October, so Biglaw bonus news could drop any day now. In 2010, Cravath didn’t kick off the season until November 22. But back in 2009, Cravath announced bonuses on November 2. And in 2007 — yes, the glory days, before the Great Recession — Cravath announced bonuses, regular and “special,” on October 29. […]

Biglaw Perk Watch: More Firms Adopt the Gay Gross-Up

We have been tracking which leading law firms offer the perk we've nicknamed the gay gross-up. If you're inclined towards formality, you can call it the "tax offset for domestic partner health benefits." For an explanation of what this perk is all about, read this prior post. Since our last round-up, additional prominent law firms have adopted this policy. Let's check out the latest list....

Biglaw Perk Watch: The Gay Gross-Up Is All the Rage

Here in the great state of New York, marriage equality is the order of the day — as it is in five other states, plus D.C.. But due to the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal tax code does not recognize same-sex unions. As a result, as explained by the law firm of McCarter & […]

Biglaw Perk Watch: The Gay Gross-Up Gains Traction

As many of you know, here at Above the Law we have been tracking which major law firms offer a non-salary benefit that we’ve dubbed the gay gross-up. As we’ve previously explained, quoting a memo issued by Simpson Thacher, the gay gross-up is “[a] ‘gross-up’ for employees who enroll same-sex partners in the Firm’s health […]

Biglaw Perk Watch: The Gay Gross-Up Goes Top Tier

The case for same-sex marriage should rest less upon dollars and cents and more upon fundamental principles of fairness (as recently argued by Professor Jaye Cee Whitehead in a New York Times op-ed piece). But it’s certainly the case that money matters should not be overlooked when it comes to marriage equality. We’ve previously discussed […]

Associate Bonus Watch: Linklaters Matches Cravath<br>(But at least it has the gay gross-up.)

Here’s some very belated bonus news. Earlier this month, the New York office of Linklaters announced bonuses that matched the Cravath scale. As usual at Linklaters, there was no hours requirement. The news was communicated via individual memo. A Cravath match, especially in a bonus season when some firms are paying significantly more, kinda sucks […]

Biglaw Perk Watch: MoFo Takes a Stand for Fairness

Sorry, we’re still waiting for the Biglaw bonus shoe to drop. While you wait, here’s some good news in the Biglaw benefits area (a la Proskauer’s iPad announcement). On Wednesday, I asked: “Remember Google’s gay gross-up? Barclays is doing it too. Will law firms follow suit?” At least one law firm is stepping up to […]