Top Law Schools

I'd really like some idea of what compensation looks like for counsel at top biglaw firms, especially the first few years. Are you getting the same as an 8th year in salary/bonus? Do you get raises each year? Is it just all negotiated?

The context is that I'd like to discuss becoming counsel with my firm and not going for a partnership because I'm not interested in spending time generating business, don't want the stress, and feel I already make enough money. That said, I want to see how much money I can ask for. Thanks!

There is very little data about this and it likely varies between firms, but Skadden published the following scale when associate salaries were increased in 2016:

1st Year Counsel $335,000
2nd Year Counsel $345,000
3rd Year Counsel $355,000
4th Year+ Counsel $360,000

https://abovethelaw.com/2016/06/whats-u ... -salaries/

Thanks, this is helpful. A little sad, but helpful. I thought that compensation would go up a lot, but it looks like it’s mostly just a title upgrade. Good to know. May not be worth delaying more fulfilling work.

I’m surprised that report shows any increase. My firm has no increase in base salary from an 8th year into non-equity partnership—obviously folks who make partnership are likely also receiving some portion of additional comp, but you’d expect at least a lockstep(ish) base bump.

In a similar position to OP, although not at a "top" biglaw firm, so if there's any additional info on what counsel salaries look like generally that would be helpful. A title and responsibility and expectation upgrade without a salary bump doesn't seem great, but associate salaries don't exactly keep going up and up and 8 years, so moving to counsel may be the best/only option anyway.

Anonymous User wrote:There is very little data about this and it likely varies between firms, but Skadden published the following scale when associate salaries were increased in 2016:

1st Year Counsel $335,000
2nd Year Counsel $345,000
3rd Year Counsel $355,000
4th Year+ Counsel $360,000

https://abovethelaw.com/2016/06/whats-u ... -salaries/

This is what I always thought that salaries for the counsel role would be. Huge bumps in the initial years up until senior associate and then flatlining. Can't make more than an income partner really.

This makes sense. I think junior non-equity partners at top firms are in the high-500s, so the range for counsel is like $440k to $550k.

I was hoping for a 40k to 50k bump from the 8th year compensation, similar to the bump from 3rd to 4th year. That would be in line with the greater expectations/responsibility. The takeaway seems to be that if you want to make a lot more money and you don’t become a partner, it won’t happen if you continue to work as a lawyer since neither the counsel role nor in-house salaries are going to increase your comp.

Clytemnestra3 wrote:I was hoping for a 40k to 50k bump from the 8th year compensation, similar to the bump from 3rd to 4th year. That would be in line with the greater expectations/responsibility. The takeaway seems to be that if you want to make a lot more money and you don’t become a partner, it won’t happen if you continue to work as a lawyer since neither the counsel role nor in-house salaries are going to increase your comp.

Pretty tough in any industry to make it past the $500,000 mark. Either you better be creating business or have some exceptional skill very few have.

Clytemnestra3 wrote:The takeaway seems to be that if you want to make a lot more money [...] it won’t happen if you [...] work as a lawyer

yes

Dont forget to consider changes in benefits. At some firms, becoming counsel means covering 100% of your health insurance costs like a partner. That's a significant cost, especially if you have a family.

Clytemnestra3 wrote:That would be in line with the greater expectations/responsibility.

This is an honest question coming from ignorance, but what are the greater expectations/responsibility? I always figured that the whole point of being counsel was not getting kicked out if you don't go up for/make partner, not that it was otherwise a particularly different role from senior associates.

nixy wrote:

Clytemnestra3 wrote:That would be in line with the greater expectations/responsibility.

This is an honest question coming from ignorance, but what are the greater expectations/responsibility? I always figured that the whole point of being counsel was not getting kicked out if you don't go up for/make partner, not that it was otherwise a particularly different role from senior associates.

Counsel at my firm were effectively partners. They'd run the cases and do everything except final billing and client management.

I had the same thought as the poster above. My understanding of the counsel role at my previous firm was a slightly lower billable expectation and zero biz dev required. Basically you just run other people's matters like a jr. partner or sr. associate, but with a slightly reduced billable expectation (like 1800 or so).

TigerIsBack wrote:I had the same thought as the poster above. My understanding of the counsel role at my previous firm was a slightly lower billable expectation and zero biz dev required. Basically you just run other people's matters like a jr. partner or sr. associate, but with a slightly reduced billable expectation (like 1800 or so).

This all varies a lot by firm, I think. My firm doesn’t have non equity partners. The counsel can be any of the following: (1) Workhorses who are needed to run matters but don’t have the biz dev/credentials to be partner. I see it a ton in white collar, where all of the partners have very fancy government backgrounds so there’s basically no way to make partner straight through, but they really need competent bodies to run things day to day. These people definitely do not have a reduced billable expectation. (2) Niche specialists. These people often do seem to work less. (3) People joining from government or something similar who haven’t shown the ability to develop business but are being given a short runway (1-3 years) to prove themselves and make partner. These people often I’m sure have much lower billables, because they aren’t being fed as much work and are on the road a lot, but they do a huge amount of biz dev, and I don’t think it’s a chill job at all.

Personally, I wasn't claiming it was a chill job; just not sure it was a job that somehow has a significant boost over senior associates? I was just surprised at the ideal that counsel would necessarily be a step up that should be rewarded with salary/bonus.

nixy wrote:I was just surprised at the ideal that counsel would necessarily be a step up that should be rewarded with salary/bonus.

Counsel go above Associates on the letterhead and there are people who unironically think that means something, I guess