Raises outside of big law? Forum

[Anonymous User]

With reviews and raises coming up, what is considered a bad, average, and good raise for non-big law firms? Thinking SF Bay Area.

[avenuem]

With reviews and raises coming up, what is considered a bad (no raise/beneath those in your position at your firm/peer firm), average (on par with those in your position at your firm/peer firms), and good raise (better than others in your position at your firm/peer firms) for non-big law firms? Thinking SF Bay Area.

see cmts. thx.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks. Any insight on dollar amounts? Outside of big law, the amount of raise your colleagues get is hard to figure out since no one really shares? Or is there a way to figure that out?

[Anonymous User]

Most firms outside of biglaw don't publish salary/bonus data. At my midlaw firm (70 attorneys, near a major market) I have received raises between $8K and $15K and bonuses of $7K to $10K.

[Anonymous User]

double post.

[Anonymous User]

I’m at a midsized firm (80-100 attorneys) in a major market and our raises range between $10k-$25k and our bonus is $15k-$100k (by hours, not lock step class year).

[nealric]

I think you are going to find that there's really little use in trying to talk generalities here. A small law firm could be anything from a bottom of the barrel insurance defense firm that pays $30k a year to associates and never promotes them, to an elite plaintiff's boutique where associates make partner in a few short years and get a cut of multi million dollar verdicts. The economics of small firms are all over the place depending on practice area, location, clientele, etc.

[Anonymous User]

What about a more standard insurance defense firm like Lewis Brisbois or employment only firms like Seyfarth, Littler, Ogletree, or Jackson Lewis?

[Anonymous User]

I’m at a midsized firm (80-100 attorneys) in a major market and our raises range between $10k-$25k and our bonus is $15k-$100k (by hours, not lock step class year).

Helpful, thank you! Would you be willing to identify your firm? (Not directly as I know that could compromise your identity. Would you be open to maybe listing your firm as part of a list of 3 or more firms that fall along the midsize range you describe? Btw, more out of curiosity, how many hours do you have to work to hit that bonus range??

Major market as in about San Francisco size or bigger?

[Anonymous User]

Most firms outside of biglaw don't publish salary/bonus data. At my midlaw firm (70 attorneys, near a major market) I have received raises between $8K and $15K and bonuses of $7K to $10K.

Helpful, thanks! Would you say your firm is private clientele or does it have insurance defense? If in Bay Area, would you be willing to identify your firm? (Again, not directly as I know that could compromise your identity. Would you be open to maybe listing your firm as part of a list of 3 or more firms?

[Anonymous User]

I’m at a midsized firm (80-100 attorneys) in a major market and our raises range between $10k-$25k and our bonus is $15k-$100k (by hours, not lock step class year).

Helpful, thank you! Would you be willing to identify your firm? (Not directly as I know that could compromise your identity. Would you be open to maybe listing your firm as part of a list of 3 or more firms that fall along the midsize range you describe? Btw, more out of curiosity, how many hours do you have to work to hit that bonus range??

Major market as in about San Francisco size or bigger?

I don’t know too many firms with 80-100 attorneys, so it’s difficult for me to list three. My firm is nationally ranked in all of the trade publications, though, so it’s a smaller firm that is well known in its specialty.

The $100k bonus range is really limited to exceptionally long hours. I think like 2600+. But I know people who had 2000 or so hours and got sizable bonuses.

Major city as in DC/NY (i.e., larger than SF legal market).