Kirkland Bonuses? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Lateral in late oct. 2016. Had very slow first six months. Annualized hours would be 1750. Got Cravath 1.05. Petty happy. I’ve worked like a dog since September, but that will be reflected next year.

[Anonymous User]

Future KE summer, saw this on ATL

"Just found out the hard way that if you have a below class rating, your bonus is 0.5x Cravath."

How many people have below class rating? That really sucks. I thought baseline at 1.05 Cravath meant no one went below that.

Below class means “leave.” I’m surprised they get anything.

So not too many get that unless they're incompetent and need to be told to find something else?

[Anonymous User]

Midlevel, 3 rating, prob a hair under 2100 (can never tell how much of my bus dev gets counted). Multiple was 1.15. Not upset since it’s a mechanical process, but puzzled since I got a 1.3x with those numbers a few years ago.

[Anonymous User]

Any KE folks have an easy way to check your hours for the billable year? I'm a recent lateral and this time entry program is way different than my old one.

[Anonymous User]

Midlevel, 3 rating, prob a hair under 2100 (can never tell how much of my bus dev gets counted). Multiple was 1.15. Not upset since it’s a mechanical process, but puzzled since I got a 1.3x with those numbers a few years ago.

Yeah, in recent years 2100 would be 1.2. And with the "5% bump across every point on the scale" should have been 1.25. Something doesn't add up, seems others have experienced this too. Maybe some more data points will make the particulars clear.

[Anonymous User]

Any KE folks have an easy way to check your hours for the billable year? I'm a recent lateral and this time entry program is way different than my old one.

Yeah go to your time software. click reports, custom report, enter date range, and select only "all billable" hours

[Anonymous User]

Junior with a 3 rating and about 2300 hours. I got exactly 1.5x Cravath.

For more context, as a first and second year its literally impossible to get anything better than a 3, so hours seem to be the only real factor. Third years can start getting 2s, and bonuses seem to be more and more based on rating after that.

For the poster concerned about below market bonuses, getting worse than a 3 (4 or 5) means you are close to being fired. We only have annual reviews, but below a 3 triggers either immediate firing or another review (not sure what the time frame is, but basically get x amount of time to fix the issue). From my experience, this is very rare. As another poster said, I'm actually a bit surprised they get a bonus at all.

[Anonymous User]

Junior with a 3 rating and about 2300 hours. I got exactly 1.5x Cravath.

For more context, as a first and second year its literally impossible to get anything better than a 3, so hours seem to be the only real factor. Third years can start getting 2s, and bonuses seem to be more and more based on rating after that.

For the poster concerned about below market bonuses, getting worse than a 3 (4 or 5) means you are close to being fired. We only have annual reviews, but below a 3 triggers either immediate firing or another review (not sure what the time frame is, but basically get x amount of time to fix the issue). From my experience, this is very rare. As another poster said, I'm actually a bit surprised they get a bonus at all.

Thanks for the response. Makes a lot of sense. I'll make my best effort not to totally suck at my job then.

[YourCaptain]

Junior with a 3 rating and about 2300 hours. I got exactly 1.5x Cravath.

For more context, as a first and second year its literally impossible to get anything better than a 3, so hours seem to be the only real factor. Third years can start getting 2s, and bonuses seem to be more and more based on rating after that.

For the poster concerned about below market bonuses, getting worse than a 3 (4 or 5) means you are close to being fired. We only have annual reviews, but below a 3 triggers either immediate firing or another review (not sure what the time frame is, but basically get x amount of time to fix the issue). From my experience, this is very rare. As another poster said, I'm actually a bit surprised they get a bonus at all.

Thanks for the response. Makes a lot of sense. I'll make my best effort not to totally suck at my job then.

As a K&E midlevel who has first years working for me, the easiest way for me to not throw you under the bus to the nonshare partner is to actually do what I tell you.

If I ask you to send an email to someone, and that email can be written in 45 seconds or less, I expect to see that email within 30 minutes of our conversation unless you have a good reason for not doing it (you got dragged into a partner's office or something).

I'm not sure what you'd have to do to get a 4 rating. Probably try to keep working at the firm after fucking up multiple deals and nobody's giving you work but you still show up, not having gotten the hint that if you haven't billed in 6 weeks there's a reason.

[Anonymous User]

Midlevel with a 3 and 2500-2600 hours. A touch over 1.4x market.

[RaceJudicata]

Junior with a 3 rating and about 2300 hours. I got exactly 1.5x Cravath.

For more context, as a first and second year its literally impossible to get anything better than a 3, so hours seem to be the only real factor. Third years can start getting 2s, and bonuses seem to be more and more based on rating after that.

For the poster concerned about below market bonuses, getting worse than a 3 (4 or 5) means you are close to being fired. We only have annual reviews, but below a 3 triggers either immediate firing or another review (not sure what the time frame is, but basically get x amount of time to fix the issue). From my experience, this is very rare. As another poster said, I'm actually a bit surprised they get a bonus at all.

Thanks for the response. Makes a lot of sense. I'll make my best effort not to totally suck at my job then.

As a K&E midlevel who has first years working for me, the easiest way for me to not throw you under the bus to the nonshare partner is to actually do what I tell you.

If I ask you to send an email to someone, and that email can be written in 45 seconds or less, I expect to see that email within 30 minutes of our conversation unless you have a good reason for not doing it (you got dragged into a partner's office or something).

I'm not sure what you'd have to do to get a 4 rating. Probably try to keep working at the firm after fucking up multiple deals and nobody's giving you work but you still show up, not having gotten the hint that if you haven't billed in 6 weeks there's a reason.

I’m sure people love working with you! Eta: if the email takes 45 seconds or less, why not just send it yourself.

[bk1]

if the email takes 45 seconds or less, why not just send it yourself.

Because then it wouldn't be biglaw?

[Anonymous User]

if the email takes 45 seconds or less, why not just send it yourself.

Because then it wouldn't be biglaw?

x a million

[Anonymous User]

Junior with a 3 rating and about 2300 hours. I got exactly 1.5x Cravath.

For more context, as a first and second year its literally impossible to get anything better than a 3, so hours seem to be the only real factor. Third years can start getting 2s, and bonuses seem to be more and more based on rating after that.

For the poster concerned about below market bonuses, getting worse than a 3 (4 or 5) means you are close to being fired. We only have annual reviews, but below a 3 triggers either immediate firing or another review (not sure what the time frame is, but basically get x amount of time to fix the issue). From my experience, this is very rare. As another poster said, I'm actually a bit surprised they get a bonus at all.

Thanks for the response. Makes a lot of sense. I'll make my best effort not to totally suck at my job then.

As a K&E midlevel who has first years working for me, the easiest way for me to not throw you under the bus to the nonshare partner is to actually do what I tell you.

If I ask you to send an email to someone, and that email can be written in 45 seconds or less, I expect to see that email within 30 minutes of our conversation unless you have a good reason for not doing it (you got dragged into a partner's office or something).

I'm not sure what you'd have to do to get a 4 rating. Probably try to keep working at the firm after fucking up multiple deals and nobody's giving you work but you still show up, not having gotten the hint that if you haven't billed in 6 weeks there's a reason.

I’m sure people love working with you! Eta: if the email takes 45 seconds or less, why not just send it yourself.

Especially true if it's an email asking me to email someone else. I'm not interrupting my current work and starting a new timer to send your shitty 0.1 email right this very minute.

[Anonymous User]

Junior with a 3 rating and about 2300 hours. I got exactly 1.5x Cravath.

For more context, as a first and second year its literally impossible to get anything better than a 3, so hours seem to be the only real factor. Third years can start getting 2s, and bonuses seem to be more and more based on rating after that.

For the poster concerned about below market bonuses, getting worse than a 3 (4 or 5) means you are close to being fired. We only have annual reviews, but below a 3 triggers either immediate firing or another review (not sure what the time frame is, but basically get x amount of time to fix the issue). From my experience, this is very rare. As another poster said, I'm actually a bit surprised they get a bonus at all.

Thanks for the response. Makes a lot of sense. I'll make my best effort not to totally suck at my job then.

As a K&E midlevel who has first years working for me, the easiest way for me to not throw you under the bus to the nonshare partner is to actually do what I tell you.

If I ask you to send an email to someone, and that email can be written in 45 seconds or less, I expect to see that email within 30 minutes of our conversation unless you have a good reason for not doing it (you got dragged into a partner's office or something).

I'm not sure what you'd have to do to get a 4 rating. Probably try to keep working at the firm after fucking up multiple deals and nobody's giving you work but you still show up, not having gotten the hint that if you haven't billed in 6 weeks there's a reason.

Same K&E midlevel that posted above about a 1.5x bonus.

For everyone reading this, most people, at least in my experience, are very pleasant to work with and are nothing like this piece of work here. The beauty of the free market system is that you can avoid the ones like the poster above.

[Anonymous User]

Junior with a 3 rating and about 2300 hours. I got exactly 1.5x Cravath.

For more context, as a first and second year its literally impossible to get anything better than a 3, so hours seem to be the only real factor. Third years can start getting 2s, and bonuses seem to be more and more based on rating after that.

For the poster concerned about below market bonuses, getting worse than a 3 (4 or 5) means you are close to being fired. We only have annual reviews, but below a 3 triggers either immediate firing or another review (not sure what the time frame is, but basically get x amount of time to fix the issue). From my experience, this is very rare. As another poster said, I'm actually a bit surprised they get a bonus at all.

Thanks for the response. Makes a lot of sense. I'll make my best effort not to totally suck at my job then.

As a K&E midlevel who has first years working for me, the easiest way for me to not throw you under the bus to the nonshare partner is to actually do what I tell you.

If I ask you to send an email to someone, and that email can be written in 45 seconds or less, I expect to see that email within 30 minutes of our conversation unless you have a good reason for not doing it (you got dragged into a partner's office or something).

I'm not sure what you'd have to do to get a 4 rating. Probably try to keep working at the firm after fucking up multiple deals and nobody's giving you work but you still show up, not having gotten the hint that if you haven't billed in 6 weeks there's a reason.

Same K&E midlevel that posted above about a 1.5x bonus.

For everyone reading this, most people, at least in my experience, are very pleasant to work with and are nothing like this piece of work here. The beauty of the free market system is that you can avoid the ones like the poster above.

Incoming Kirkland summer anon. I thought you were both very helpful.

I appreciate the various KE anon's in this thread; it's been good to get a feel for bonuses AND I get extra information on how not to screw up. Winning all around.

[Anonymous User]

Midlevel with a 3 and 2500-2600 hours. A touch over 1.4x market.

Now that is strange. A friend of mine was on the 2600 side of that last year and got nearly 1.7x.

[YourCaptain]

Midlevel with a 3 and 2500-2600 hours. A touch over 1.4x market.

Now that is strange. A friend of mine was on the 2600 side of that last year and got nearly 1.7x.

Numbers might be fudged but your friend might have better ratings. The “black box” is nothing more than ratings + hours.

[Anonymous User]

How'd things go this year for people? Currently looking at my old bank statement showing the bar summer stipend to convince myself I didn't miss out on the no-stub-year bonus.

[Anonymous User]

anecdotally it seems like high billers (2300+) got less than they expected. summer bonuses may have played a role.

[5ky]

FYI - A $10k stipend is better than a $10k loan and a proration of a $15k bonus (NYC standard). Not sure why this would bother you.

But not nearly as good as a 10k stipend and prorated stub bonus like many NYC firms pay.

[Anonymous User]

Lot of it is hours dependent. Those who billed like 2700+ got nearly 1.9x Cravath and higher. Obviously not worth billing just to get the higher bonus but sometimes hours not exactly within your control.

High billing associates did very well, personally I’m really happy and feel fairly valued.

[Anonymous User]

FYI - A $10k stipend is better than a $10k loan and a proration of a $15k bonus (NYC standard). Not sure why this would bother you.

But not nearly as good as a 10k stipend and prorated stub bonus like many NYC firms pay.

To be clear, by "not nearly as good" we're talking a difference of about one week's worth of pay when it comes down to a first-year's prorated stub bonus. Real money to be sure, but not really a game-changing number between firms.

The $10k bar stipend (instead a bar advance, or no bar money at all) that K&E and some other firms offers is a more important factor for 2Ls weighing offers IMO. I needed every cent of it then, or else it was going on a credit card.

[QContinuum]

FYI - A $10k stipend is better than a $10k loan and a proration of a $15k bonus (NYC standard). Not sure why this would bother you.

But not nearly as good as a 10k stipend and prorated stub bonus like many NYC firms pay.

I'm not sure how you define "many" but bdubs above is correct: The NYC standard is a $10k advance and a prorated $15k bonus. A $10k stipend is above NYC standard and fairly rare, and a $10k stipend plus prorated $15k bonus is even more unusual.

[Anonymous User]

The year for bonus purposes just ended. My annualized hours are just a smidge over 1900. I know that all first years are expected to get a 3 (class rating) in review, so will that + 1900 be enough for a market bonus? Some of the posts ITT are helpful but curious if others have been around here.