barkschool wrote:What do you think motivated firms that would have otherwise waited several months to move?
Was OCI/ recruiting season really such a huge motivator?
I don't think OCI/recruiting season was the deciding factor.
I think firms have been talking internally about the inevitability of a market movement on associate salaries and many had prepared for this day (but weren't willing to be the first to jump). My guess is some planned and were ready to go to 170, 180, or even 190 depending on what the first mover did and their finances looked like at the time. Those who prepped for the 'worst case' of 190 or higher quickly went to 180 when Cravath did. Those who didn't plan for as high as 180 probably had to think about it - some jumped quickly and others took a week or two.
That's my (relatively unsupported, mostly conjectural) working theory - absent a Q&A session with a couple drunk V100 managing partners, I suspect we won't have clear answers any time soon.