Miami Starting Salary Forum

[Anonymous User]

Are the big Miami firms really this cheap? Atlanta and even Delaware raised and Miami is staying at 160.

I can’t believe that HK and GT are really that cheap. Even the satellites of the big firms are at 190k now.

How can GT justify paying 30k+ less than other firms IN ITS HOME MARKET?

[Anonymous User]

They will sell you on the fact they charge lower rates and offer partnership potential, but that’s a very meaningful gap when they could stop pretending to be national firms and get rid of their other offices paying above Miami but less than NY market.

[Anonymous User]

Florida is notorious for low paying attorney jobs. I started my legal career in Miami and have sense moved out of the state. I think my most successful fromer colleague is now making $140k/year 5 years out.

[Anonymous User]

Lower cost of living and no state income tax. White & Case pays 185k though

[SomewhatLearnedHand]

White & Case Miami just moved to 185. Theres no state income tax. That means at say $100k salary, you are going home with 12k more than someone making 100k in NY. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but I'd venture to say for the most part they are also doing less sophisticated work than NY.

[uncle_rico]

Pretty sure that GT didn't raise salaries to 190k, but regardless Miami firms are selling a better culture than NY and ultimately that 160K without state income tax is significantly more than 190k with all taxes and cost of living you'll be paying in NY. I believe that White & Case pays the most out of the firms with a decent sized office, but Weil might pay NY market too at least for first years. Their office is less than 15 associates though I think. As far as sophistication of work, it's probably not on par with the work that you'd be doing at say Cravath/S&C/Skadden/DPW/ST in NY but the experience is still very valuable if you plan on being in Miami long term. Plus a lot of firms (Jones Day off the top of my head) work on a lot of deals that are sourced out of other offices like NY. The associates just happen to be working out of Miami instead of NY

[Anonymous User]

White & Case Miami just moved to 185. Theres no state income tax. That means at say $100k salary, you are going home with 12k more than someone making 100k in NY. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but I'd venture to say for the most part they are also doing less sophisticated work than NY.

Believe they actually raised to 183. Point is not to correct you on an immaterial point, but to illustrate the nickel and diming inherent to the market.

To my knowledge, the partnership path is very long (if ever) and the substance of the corporate work is mainly project finance with little M&A, which isn’t the most marketable.

Perhaps the local market for in-house positions doesn’t care because White & Case is a very good name in Miami, but I’m not qualified to speak to that.

[Anonymous User]

Pretty sure that GT didn't raise salaries to 190k, but regardless Miami firms are selling a better culture than NY and ultimately that 160K without state income tax is significantly more than 190k with all taxes and cost of living you'll be paying in NY. I believe that White & Case pays the most out of the firms with a decent sized office, but Weil might pay NY market too at least for first years. Their office is less than 15 associates though I think. As far as sophistication of work, it's probably not on par with the work that you'd be doing at say Cravath/S&C/Skadden/DPW/ST in NY but the experience is still very valuable if you plan on being in Miami long term. Plus a lot of firms (Jones Day off the top of my head) work on a lot of deals that are sourced out of other offices like NY. The associates just happen to be working out of Miami instead of NY

The economic advantage vs. New York is clear.

But if the rationale for being in Miami is to do cross-border work, then the relevant benchmark may be foreign offices of US firms paying a 50-100k COLA on top of NY market.

[Anonymous User]

Side note, does anyone know much Berger Singerman pays starting salary?

[Anonymous User]

OP here. 30k after tax is not a big difference. However, Weil and MWE pay NY market for ALL years. A senior associate at GT is making more than 200k less than one of those associates

[Anonymous User]

Any midlevels in Miami offices care to anonymously share their 2017 bonuses? I have heard that even if the midlevel salaries at the big Miami offices (GT/H&K, etc.) are solid for MIA, the bonuses can be meager.