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Hi Everyone, I am a mid-level lateral at K&E (joined end of 2020) and have read countless threads on fishbowl and here about hours at K&E. My question more so relates to expectations for K&E lateral associates and how hours are prorated/evaluated for year end bonus purposes. During the bonus announcements last year, I read that associates with ~1800 hours got full market bonuses while associates billing way more (2300+) obviously got higher than market bonuses. I just have no idea what the expectation is for laterals who joined K&E part way through the billing year for what hours (annualized or not) we are supposed to be hitting. Obviously I am staying busy and working a lot but am otherwise in the dark.

I negotiated this after getting an offer. I believe the default with Kirkland is they prorate it, but it's discretionary and you can get above market still if you crush it while you're there.

Your hours will be prorated during the bonus year (which runs Sept-Aug) for purposes of your year-end bonus. I don't think laterals are otherwise treated differently, absent some agreement when you first sign on.

I am aware of multiple associates who receive a 3 (the satisfactory merit grade, which I imagine pretty much every lateral will receive in their first year) and billed about 1800 hours who still got slightly above-market bonuses. I'm talking like a 5% premium on top of market. 2000 hours and 3 will get you somewhere around a 20% premium. It goes up from there, although the really big multipliers go to those who gets 2s or 1s on their merit grades. Associates who get 2s with 2500+ hours can get close to double bonuses.

Haven’t heard of anyone lateraling and getting screwed on bonus, typically you get the base “K&E market” bonus and if there’s anything I’d say even if you knock it out of the park on an annualized basis you’re more likely to just still get “K&E market” rather than a higher multiple of “K&E market”

I have also heard of associates who lateraled to K&E pre-covid bonuses, with guaranteed bonuses for the first X years, receiving both their guaranteed bonus and the covid bonus - they seem to be pretty good at looking after people.

I got 1.03X market for "3" with probably ~2000 hours my first year as a lateral. That is pretty much bare minimum unless you get a "4," but if you get a "4" you should lateral out ASAP.