2019 - Bonus Speculation Thread Forum

[dabigchina]

Has the above firm ever been a first mover anyway?

[Anonymous User]

I don't think Paul, Weiss has ever been a first mover & it has historically (per sources) had troubles over-recruiting litigators and under-recruiting corporate juniors.

[Anonymous User]

Other than the firms that do exclusively lit (QE, Boies, the boutiques), lit isn't the major money-maker at any of the most profitable firms. The glut of litigation associates and relative slowness of litigation has been the case for years (including during raises) at my firm, which is neither Skadden nor PW (both already mentioned in this thread as being slow/overstaffed in lit) and has been a compensation leader. Whether lit is busy shouldn't really be considered one way or another.

[Anonymous User]

I don't expect my V50 to give out full-market bonuses this year. Last year, even when the firm was busy, they didn't give full bonuses to a large number of people including some high-billers. Strangely, some low-billers got full bonuses whereas some high-billers didn't. This year, the firm seems to be clearly slower than it was last year and most associates' hours are lower. So I just wouldn't expect it this year.

[davecrocket]

I don't expect my V50 to give out full-market bonuses this year. Last year, even when the firm was busy, they didn't give full bonuses to a large number of people including some high-billers. Strangely, some low-billers got full bonuses whereas some high-billers didn't. This year, the firm seems to be clearly slower than it was last year and most associates' hours are lower. So I just wouldn't expect it this year.

S&S?

[sociallaw]

I'm thinking of what I'm going to buy with my bonus lol

[dabigchina]

I'm thinking of what I'm going to buy with my bonus lol

im saving it all in the hopes that i can buy my freedom someday.

[JHP]

I'm thinking of what I'm going to buy with my bonus lol

Buying slightly looser shackles.
Gonna put a drop in that ocean of loans.

[Yugihoe]

I'm thinking of what I'm going to buy with my bonus lol

all of it into VTSAX

[Anonymous User]

I don't expect my V50 to give out full-market bonuses this year. Last year, even when the firm was busy, they didn't give full bonuses to a large number of people including some high-billers. Strangely, some low-billers got full bonuses whereas some high-billers didn't. This year, the firm seems to be clearly slower than it was last year and most associates' hours are lower. So I just wouldn't expect it this year.

S&S?

Yes, where extra hard work is rewarded with under-market bonus and where few first and second years get fired every year.

[Anonymous User]

I'm tracking to hit my hours by Halloween. Herein lies the Sophie's Choice of playing "excess hours bonus tier Plinko" vs a 2-month IDGAF semi-sabbatical. If next year weren't a partner consideration year, I think I'd just skip town... Ugh these golden handcuffs.

[Anonymous User]

I'm tracking to hit my hours by Halloween. Herein lies the Sophie's Choice of playing "excess hours bonus tier Plinko" vs a 2-month IDGAF semi-sabbatical. If next year weren't a partner consideration year, I think I'd just skip town... Ugh these golden handcuffs.

At least you have the Plinko to play. I hit bonus hours the second week of September at a firm with no extra bonus for high billers. But I am also on matters that need constant attention, so nowhere to hide from it.

[Anonymous User]

V10 non-NYC Major Market.

Not sure where others are, but our litigation associates have been beyond busy. More senior individuals have remarked that this is the busiest lit has been in 6+ years.

Also hoping for a pretty bonus increase to offset the crazy hours from this year.

[Anonymous User]

Can any non-Kirkland associates shine some light on how bonuses work at other comparable big Chicago firms for high billers (2200+)? Particularly interested in junior associate bonuses and whether the above market bump is significant.

[Anonymous User]

Can any non-Kirkland associates shine some light on how bonuses work at other comparable big Chicago firms for high billers (2200+)? Particularly interested in junior associate bonuses and whether the above market bump is significant.

Winston mid-levels generally get an extra $5k for 2200 and an extra $2.5k for 2400. Probably the same for juniors, but I don’t know for sure.

[M458]

Can any non-Kirkland associates shine some light on how bonuses work at other comparable big Chicago firms for high billers (2200+)? Particularly interested in junior associate bonuses and whether the above market bump is significant.

Winston mid-levels generally get an extra $5k for 2200 and an extra $2.5k for 2400. Probably the same for juniors, but I don’t know for sure.

The feels when hours 2200-2400 are compensated at $12.50 an hour...

[soxfan122]

For juniors last year it was $2.5K for the first 200 and $2.5K more for each 100 hours thereafter.

[Anonymous User]

Can any non-Kirkland associates shine some light on how bonuses work at other comparable big Chicago firms for high billers (2200+)? Particularly interested in junior associate bonuses and whether the above market bump is significant.

Winston mid-levels generally get an extra $5k for 2200 and an extra $2.5k for 2400. Probably the same for juniors, but I don’t know for sure.

The feels when hours 2200-2400 are compensated at $12.50 an hour...

Yep. You never try to bill that many hours, so it’s better to think of it as a true “bonus” than actual comp.

[Anonymous User]

Can any non-Kirkland associates shine some light on how bonuses work at other comparable big Chicago firms for high billers (2200+)? Particularly interested in junior associate bonuses and whether the above market bump is significant.

Winston mid-levels generally get an extra $5k for 2200 and an extra $2.5k for 2400. Probably the same for juniors, but I don’t know for sure.

The feels when hours 2200-2400 are compensated at $12.50 an hour...

I like the way K&S does it - extra $/h for each hour above bonus (2050), with the $/h amount going up per class year. Senior associates are at about $100/h, I think.

[notinbiglaw]

I already have an excessive gaming/work PC specced out in PC partpicker.

The plan is 3x 27" 1440 144hz monitors in landscape on bottom row. A 2080ti will drive these monitors.

Top row will be "work"/media/dashboard screens.

27" 144hz 1440p in portrait | ~42" 4k monitor in landscape (60hz will have to do) | 27" 144hz 1440p in portrait.

In name of cost saving, I'll recycle an old 1080ti to drive the work/media monitors.

The plan is to have Cyberpower build a custom liquid cooling rig with enough RGB to make my wife never want to enter my office.

[Wubbles]

I already have an excessive gaming/work PC specced out in PC partpicker.

The plan is 3x 27" 1440 144hz monitors in landscape on bottom row. A 2080ti will drive these monitors.

Top row will be "work"/media/dashboard screens.

27" 144hz 1440p in portrait | ~42" 4k monitor in landscape (60hz will have to do) | 27" 144hz 1440p in portrait.

In name of cost saving, I'll recycle an old 1080ti to drive the work/media monitors.

The plan is to have Cyberpower build a custom liquid cooling rig with enough RGB to make my wife never want to enter my office.

Love it, especially if you can get a tech stipend from your firm to cover part of your "home work station"

[UnfrozenCaveman]

I already have an excessive gaming/work PC specced out in PC partpicker.

The plan is 3x 27" 1440 144hz monitors in landscape on bottom row. A 2080ti will drive these monitors.

Top row will be "work"/media/dashboard screens.

27" 144hz 1440p in portrait | ~42" 4k monitor in landscape (60hz will have to do) | 27" 144hz 1440p in portrait.

In name of cost saving, I'll recycle an old 1080ti to drive the work/media monitors.

The plan is to have Cyberpower build a custom liquid cooling rig with enough RGB to make my wife never want to enter my office.

20 open word windows at once. Editing in all of them.

[texas1100]

It's possible the bonus scale gets up'd this year. If you start cutting bonuses in a recession, you'll lose your top guys

[TatteredDignity]

It's possible the bonus scale gets up'd this year. If you start cutting bonuses in a recession, you'll lose your top guys

This thread needs more smart takes like this. Keep em coming.

[dabigchina]

It's possible the bonus scale gets up'd this year. If you start cutting bonuses in a recession, you'll lose your top guys

where exactly would these top guys go if the lateral and in house markets dried up in a recession?