Firms that Haven't Paid Special Bonuses Forum

[Anonymous User]

Above the Law was keeping track of firms that paid 2021 special bonuses at some point, but they seem to have stopped keeping the list. Since the bonus announcements also seem to have stopped, I thought it might be helpful to put together a list of AmLaw firms that haven't paid 2021 special bonuses. Could be something useful for law students and laterals to take into account when considering which firms to apply to over the next few years. Anyone willing to start naming and shaming?

Firms that Have Not Paid 2021 Bonuses (by 2021 AmLaw ranking):

59. Nixon Peabody
63. Seyfarth Shaw
90. Davis Wright Tremaine
93. Fox Rothschild
95. Akerman
98. Ballard Spahr
106. Manatt, Phelps & Phillips
113. Bracewell
115. Snell Wilmer
157. Carlton Fields
175. Williams Mullen
N/A. Keker, Van Nest & Peters
N/A. Kellogg Hansen

[Anonymous User]

AFAIK, the following firms have not paid special bonuses (please correct if I'm wrong though):

1. Ballard Spahr
2. Fox Rothschild
3. Davis Wright Tremaine
4. Nixon Peabody
5. Manatt

[Anonymous User]

Not sure what its AmLaw ranking is but Bracewell is one of the only firms in Texas that has not paid them.

[Anonymous User]

Not sure what its AmLaw ranking is but Bracewell is one of the only firms in Texas that has not paid them.

[Anonymous User]

Focusing on Florida firms, Holland & Knight has paid bonuses and also given associates pay raises. Foley & Lardner has paid bonuses. Does anyone know if Greenberg Traurig has paid bonuses? Akerman has not. Carlton Fields and some of the other smaller Florida firms haven't paid bonuses either, but that's not unexpected.

[Anonymous User]

Seyfarth Shaw

[Definitely Not North]

we had a whole google doc for this

[Anonymous User]

Focusing on Florida firms, Holland & Knight has paid bonuses and also given associates pay raises. Foley & Lardner has paid bonuses. Does anyone know if Greenberg Traurig has paid bonuses? Akerman has not. Carlton Fields and some of the other smaller Florida firms haven't paid bonuses either, but that's not unexpected.

GT paid

[Anonymous User]

Vault #2 litigation boutique Keker, Van Nest & Peters has paid $0 in special bonuses this year.

No announcement either way, but the word is that special bonuses are unlikely.

People are upset.

[Anonymous User]

No bonuses at Snell & Wilmer either

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if MTO and Kellogg Hansen paid (I know KH is putatively above market, but they seem to be slipping in recent years)?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if MTO and Kellogg Hansen paid (I know KH is putatively above market, but they seem to be slipping in recent years)?

Yes to MTO, not sure on KH.

[Rehnkist]

Have any of the Delaware firms paid special bonuses?

[Anonymous User]

Focusing on Florida firms, Holland & Knight has paid bonuses and also given associates pay raises. Foley & Lardner has paid bonuses. Does anyone know if Greenberg Traurig has paid bonuses? Akerman has not. Carlton Fields and some of the other smaller Florida firms haven't paid bonuses either, but that's not unexpected.

GT paid

Did GT pay ALL of their offices or just major markets (NY, DC, etc.?)

[Anonymous User]

Update: both Nixon Peabody and Akerman have recently paid special bonuses, though Nixon Peabody's are weird and non-market and Akerman has a high hours requirement.

[Anonymous User]

KH has not paid special bonuses (yet).

[Anonymous User]

Williams Mullen has not paid special bonuses.

[Anonymous User]

Update: both Nixon Peabody and Akerman have recently paid special bonuses, though Nixon Peabody's are weird and non-market and Akerman has a high hours requirement.

I’m curious about the Akerman bonuses. Potentially considering a move there once all the dust settles. I didn’t see an announcement on above the law. What are the amounts? Hours requirements?

[Anonymous User]

Any scuttlebutt from folks at / w/ contacts at Seyfarth? The firm seems financially healthy and growing from all accounts I've seen; wonder why they're being stubborn.

[Anonymous User]

Update: both Nixon Peabody and Akerman have recently paid special bonuses, though Nixon Peabody's are weird and non-market and Akerman has a high hours requirement.

I’m curious about the Akerman bonuses. Potentially considering a move there once all the dust settles. I didn’t see an announcement on above the law. What are the amounts? Hours requirements?

They're paying the market bonus, 1/3 in June and 2/3 in October, but only to people on track to bill 2300 hours. People on track to bill 2000-2299 hours get a bonus of 10% of their salary, paid 1/3 in June and 2/3 in October. As you would expect, associates on track to bill 2300 are happy and everyone else is upset.

[Anonymous User]

Double post.

[Anonymous User]

Triple post.

[Anonymous User]

Quadruple post.

[Anonymous User]

Quintuple post.

[Anonymous User]

Quintuple post.

Have any firms paid? A lot have announced,
But a lot won’t make a first payment until like July.