associate-compensation-scorecard:-biglaw’s-2024-bonus-boom

Associate Compensation Scorecard: Biglaw’s 2024 Bonus Boom

money bonus trackerSince we broke the news of the market bonus scale for associates at large law firms in the United States — a trend that was started by Milbank on Monday, November 11, 2024, and finally followed by Cravath on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, including Milbank’s special summer bonuses — firms are falling in line to match the scale. When will your firm announce its bonuses?

Today, for your viewing pleasure, we unveil a table of all of the firms that have already matched the bonus scale, the date those matches were made, the minimum hours required to receive bonuses (if available), and the date bonuses will be paid. We will be updating this table on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times, as news on bonuses unfolds. If you see any information here that is incorrect or needs clarification, let us know.

We are covering this trend extensively, so please drop us a line — text (646-820-8477) or email (subject line: “[Firm Name] Matches”) — when you know of a firm making a compensation move. Please include the memo if available. You can take a photo of the memo and send it via text or email if you don’t want to forward the original PDF or Word file. Sources are kept confidential.

Don’t forget, if you’d like to sign up for ATL’s Bonus Alerts, please enter your email address in the box below. If you previously signed up for the bonus alerts, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive an email notification within minutes of each compensation announcement that we publish. Cheers to a happy bonus and raise season, everyone!

Firm Date Matched Minimum Hours Payout Date
Milbank

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2016: $115K / $25K
FIRST MOVER

November 11, 2024
None On or before December 31, 2024
Vartabedian Hester & Haynes

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K

Class of 2016: $115K / $25K
November 13, 2024 1800 hours On or before December 31, 2024
Cravath

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017: $115K / $25K
November 19, 2024 None December 13, 2024
Paul Hastings

Class of 2023: $20K / $6K

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 20, 2024 2000 hours February 14, 2025
Ropes & Gray

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2016+: $130K / $25K
November 20, 2024 1900 creditable hours (increased bonuses for associates who annualized above hourly target) December 24, 2024
McDermott Will & Emery

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 20, 2024 2000 hours (merit bonuses available for eligible associates; “two-thirds” of associates will see bonuses above market) December 27, 2024
Cleary

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 21, 2024 None December 20, 2024
Paul Weiss

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 21, 2024 None December 20, 2024
Dechert

Class of 2023: $20K / $6K

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 21, 2024 1950 hours (client billable, pro bono, firm as client, maximum of 50 community hours); associates who exceeded hours expectations eligible to receive an “extraordinary” bonus (i.e., 2200 hours = addt’l 30%; 2400+ hours = addt’l 40%) By or before end of January 2025
O’Melveny

Class of 2024: $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 21, 2024 None Undisclosed
Holwell Shuster

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 21, 2024 None On or before December 31, 2024
Davis Polk

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 22, 2024 None December 27, 2024
Weil Gotshal

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 22, 2024 None January 31, 2025
White & Case

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017: $115K / $25K
November 22, 2024 Eligibility criteria detailed in separate memo February 14, 2025
Skadden

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K or $125K / $25K
November 22, 2024 1800 “productive hours” (including unlimited pro bono time and up to 150 hours of productive non-billable work) December 13, 2024
Cadwalader

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2016: $115K / $25K
November 22, 2024 Additional bonuses “equal to 120% of [market bonuses]” for high billers with 2200 hours or more By or before end of February 2025
Proskauer

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2016: $115K / $25K
November 22, 2024 None On or before December 24, 2024
Schulte Roth & Zabel

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 22, 2024 2000 hours; step-up bonuses from $3K to $51.75K for associates who have made “extraordinary contributions” to the firm) January 27, 2025
Covington

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 22, 2024 2000 hours; (associates will see a 10% bonus increase at 2200 hours, and another 10% bonus increase 2400 hours) January 2025
Willkie Farr

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 22, 2024 None December 31, 2024
Akin

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 22, 2024 1950 hours (including pro bono hours, general counsel hours, business development hours, and up to 100 hours of time spent on recruiting, diversity & inclusion, and/or innovation activities); associates with “exceptional” performance will receive larger bonuses February 2025
Sidley

Class of 2023: $20K / $6K

Class of 2016: $115K / $25K
November 25, 2024 2000 hours required for base bonuses; associates with “higher productivity and/or exceptional performance” will receive additional bonuses, up to “more than 50% above base bonus” Prior to December 31, 2024
Baker Botts

Class of 2023: $20K / $6K

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 25, 2024 Based on hours (“enhanced” bonuses available for “exceptional” performance) Undisclosed
A&O Shearman

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 25, 2024 Undisclosed Undisclosed
Katten Muchin

Class of 2023: $20K / $6K

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 25, 2024 2000 hours (2100 hours for $22K-$126.5K; 2200 hours for $24K-$138K; 2300 hours for $26.5K-$149.5K; 2400 hours for $31K-$172.5K); additional “superstar” bonuses available February 3, 2025
Vinson & Elkins

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 25, 2024 Based on hours and good standing; “supplemental bonuses” available for associates who had an “exemplary year” On or about January 31, 2025
Debevoise

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 26, 2024 None Undisclosed
Clifford Chance

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 26, 2024 None (based on overall performance, quality of work, contributions to firm, teamwork, and pro bono) January 15, 2025
Mayer Brown

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 26, 2024 2000 hours; associates eligible for addt’l bonuses based on performance February 28, 2025
Gibson Dunn

Class of 2024: $15K / $6K (prorated)

Class of 2017: $115K / $25K
November 27, 2024 Undisclosed Undisclosed
Seward & Kissel

Class of 2023: $20K / $6K

Class of 2017+: $115K / $25K
November 27, 2024 2000 hours (1850 billable hours and 150 qualified non-billable hours); 2200 hours for special bonus (1850 billable hours and 150 qualified non-billable hours; associates who “substantially” exceed the eligibility requirements for special bonuses may receive an “increased” special bonus) First quarter of 2025
Fish & Richardson

Entry-Level: $15K / $6K (prorated)

A7: $115K / $25K
November 27, 2024 2100 hours (including up to 200 pro bono/DEI/pitch hours) or strongest reviews based on quality of work December 26, 2024
Wilkinson Stekloff

Class of 2024: $22.5K / $6K

Class of 2017: $172.5K / $25K
December 3, 2024 None By December 13, 2024

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at 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.


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