2014 Biglaw Bonus Thread Forum

[Skump]

A few issues. Lawyers in continental Europe tend to be more academic and appreciate advanced degrees more than US lawyers.

Fair enough: I guess resume bullshit looms relatively larger in a market whose professionals have less genuinely important work to do/draw on.

[lonerider]

This is why TLS is unreadable.

[utahraptor]

This is why TLS is unreadable.GOLD, JERRY! GOLD!

[Danteshek]

A few issues. Lawyers in continental Europe tend to be more academic and appreciate advanced degrees more than US lawyers.

Fair enough: I guess resume bullshit looms relatively larger in a market whose professionals have less genuinely important work to do/draw on.

Many European lawyers are pompous professor types, especially on the arbitration side of things. In transactional work there is little difference. Although the clients are just as demanding and might call you on a weekend, you'll probably take that call from home instead of at the office.

If you think there is no genuinely important work to be done in the European financial centers, I do not know what to say other than to suggest that you get out a bit.

[911 crisis actor]

Dantshek, where do you get out?

[Danteshek]

Dantshek, where do you get out?

Out of the United States. About 9 years so far.

[Anonymous User]

.

[GOATlawman]

Dantshek, where do you get out?

Out of the United States. About 9 years so far.

For the record, I'm on your side breh

Even if I don't agree with everything you say, the only people that are disagreeing with you seem like they have down's and/or will never have sex with a 7+ girl their entire life

While my dream is to retire to Venezuela, you seem like you are on the right track. Very curious about Prague, do you know anything about the legal climate there? I've never been, but it seems like the #1 place in europe that I might consider settling down if VE doesn't work out

[Danteshek]

Goat:My point was simply that a lower five figure bonus is woefully inadequate considering how hard these junior associates work. I would feel extremely taken advantage of if that were my situation. I do not know anything about the legal market in Prague.

[thelawyler]

This is why TLS is unreadable.

Yeah, let's cut the bullshit here.

[jbagelboy]

to bring this back to relevance, have any CA firms released bonus figures and whether they'll be matching Simpson/Cravath or Davis?

[KD35]

to bring this back to relevance, have any CA firms released bonus figures and whether they'll be matching Simpson/Cravath or Davis?

Haven't heard anything from any of the major CA firms. Some also do partial merit-based bonuses (see Latham), which throws off the lockstep bonus scale, but haven't see anything from them either. My guess is that ATL will know more before TLS does

[charliekelly33]

Dealbook talking about bonuses: http://dealbook.nytimes.com//2014/12/02 ... 77816&_r=0

I don't remember ATL ever reporting the Boies bonuses. Sounds like they are significantly above Simpson.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Dealbook talking about bonuses: http://dealbook.nytimes.com//2014/12/02 ... 77816&_r=0

I don't remember ATL ever reporting the Boies bonuses. Sounds like they are significantly above Simpson.

Boies is always in a different league on bonuses though. They're not a reflection of "market" pay.

[15 styx]

Yesterday an associate told me that her friend’s firm (with +30 attorneys) did not award bonuses. That came as a surprise. This has to be uncommon, right?

(Big law or not I would think a successful firm would at least offer a few thousand.)

[Old Gregg]

Yesterday an associate told me that her friend’s firm (with +30 attorneys) did not award bonuses. That came as a surprise. This has to be uncommon, right?

(Big law or not I would think a successful firm would at least offer a few thousand.)

In the world of law firms that size, bonuses (or even the distribution of one) are incredibly variable. And the boundary between "success" and "failure" is a lot thinner. You don't know whether that firm is performing well or not. And it's not as if the general market conditions that lead to better bonuses year (i.e., corporate and M&A) would impact super small practices...

All intuitive stuff. Just requires two minutes of critical thinking.

[Mal Reynolds]

Yesterday an associate told me that her friend’s firm (with +30 attorneys) did not award bonuses. That came as a surprise. This has to be uncommon, right?

(Big law or not I would think a successful firm would at least offer a few thousand.)

Yeah totally.

[Anonymous User]

Yesterday an associate told me that her friend’s firm (with +30 attorneys) did not award bonuses. That came as a surprise. This has to be uncommon, right?

(Big law or not I would think a successful firm would at least offer a few thousand.)

My firm is >150 attorneys, and there's a blanket no-bonus policy.

[kcdc1]

Yesterday an associate told me that her friend’s firm (with +30 attorneys) did not award bonuses. That came as a surprise. This has to be uncommon, right?

(Big law or not I would think a successful firm would at least offer a few thousand.)

My firm is >150 attorneys, and there's a blanket no-bonus policy.

This reminds me -- if bonuses are going to return to being a significant portion of biglaw comp, will W&C raise base comp to stay competitive?

[911 crisis actor]

As a member of the W&C Compensation Committee, I can confirm that that will be the case.

[jbagelboy]

As a member of the W&C Compensation Committee, I can confirm that that will be the case.

obv.

[Anonymous User]

http://abovethelaw.com/?sponsored_conte ... lite-firms

This article predicts base salary will go up. Curious to the effect that increased bonuses and increased market base salary will have.

[mvp99]

Uh? ATL made a prediction months ago that there wouldn't be an increase in salaries based on the fact that fewer firms pay 160k.... fallacy somewhere?

[sublime]

..

[fats provolone]

Also, that isn't ATL, that is an ad from Kinney Recruiting.

atl is like 70% fake sponsored articles now anyway