Any word on Iowa law firm salary increases? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Belin raised to $160k, back over the top of the market after Faegre matched it. I think it was over Faegre overall anyway with its quick equity so this should make it comfortably the highest-paid firm in the state again (except maybe Weinhardt).

[Anonymous User]

On new NALP forms Fredrikson is up to $150k with a $35k clerkship bonus, and Belin is up to $160k with a $25k clerkship bonus. Belin previously didn’t offer clerkship bonuses.

[Anonymous User]

On new NALP forms Fredrikson is up to $150k with a $35k clerkship bonus, and Belin is up to $160k with a $25k clerkship bonus. Belin previously didn’t offer clerkship bonuses.

Begin says their $25k clerkship bonus is for “most clerkships.’ Fredrikson says they provide $35k only for federal district or CoA or state Supreme Court clerkships, with lesser bonus ($15k) for other Article III or state appellate clerkships and no case-by-case for other clerkships.

[Anonymous User]

On new NALP forms Fredrikson is up to $150k with a $35k clerkship bonus, and Belin is up to $160k with a $25k clerkship bonus. Belin previously didn’t offer clerkship bonuses.

Begin says their $25k clerkship bonus is for “most clerkships.’ Fredrikson says they provide $35k only for federal district or CoA or state Supreme Court clerkships, with lesser bonus ($15k) for other Article III or state appellate clerkships and no case-by-case for other clerkships.

I would guess Belin’s has the same restrictions as Fredrikson’s—Article III or Iowa Supreme Court. Though they might also give a bonus for the Iowa Court of Appeals or case-by-case (I can’t imagine they would turn up their nose at Steve Locher’s clerks from the year he was a magistrate).

[Anonymous User]

Belin has unearned pretension, just some smug jackasses who do "the top deals/most sophisticated work in Iowa" when really it's just the same pork farmers giving them business (other firms give them work when they don't know how to do it which I guess is how they developed that rep lol).

Fredrikson is run by Minneapolis and has no say over hiring, making partner, or how they run their office. Seems like a frustrating place.

Faegre is probably the closest to big law IMO. Nyemaster and Brown Winnick are also legit, but they pay less than the others. Dorsey & Whitney pays well but it's a small office that basically only does healthcare regulatory work.

[Anonymous User]

Belin has unearned pretension, just some smug jackasses who do "the top deals/most sophisticated work in Iowa" when really it's just the same pork farmers giving them business (other firms give them work when they don't know how to do it which I guess is how they developed that rep lol).

Fredrikson is run by Minneapolis and has no say over hiring, making partner, or how they run their office. Seems like a frustrating place.

Faegre is probably the closest to big law IMO. Nyemaster and Brown Winnick are also legit, but they pay less than the others. Dorsey & Whitney pays well but it's a small office that basically only does healthcare regulatory work.

The Belin rep is because it until recently paid way more than everyone else, including Faegre. (It still does to a lesser extent.) It also used to be significantly bigger until some departures and succession problems. Agree that it’s not categorically more sophisticated in many areas, but I think the difference in business model at Belin versus Faegre/Fredrikson is still really significant. For most incoming associates I suspect the short partnership track, low leverage, selectivity/prestige/T14 connections, and one-office model mean Belin will continue to get the top of the pile. Plus I think Belin is the only one of the high-paying firms that does tax/T&E, restructuring, or real estate.

I think Fredrikson has some quality-control issues associated with the rapid expansion in addition to the normal biglaw downsides you note. Calling a bunch of BrownWinick, Davis, and Dickinson lawyers biglaw partners doesn’t mean they’re immediately more sophisticated. As far as BrownWinick, Davis, and Nyemaster go, they do a lot of good work but also a lot of simple work (e.g. insurance defense, debt collection) that the higher-paying firms aren’t in the market for. The risk is that you’ll be stuck on the latter.

Faegre isn’t as narrow as Dorsey but still is limited—no local transactional beyond M&A, big litigation practice but targeted on a few specific areas like employment and products. Not as comprehensive as Fredrikson but in spirit closer to biglaw with all that comes with that.

In lit none of the high-paying firms have comprehensive practices so it depends on what you want to do. All of them have good employment practices but all of them have somewhat specialized commercial lit practices. Plus there’s Weinhardt to consider (and it really is a class above in white-collar).