Big Law Signing Bonuses Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm looking to lateral to a law firm soon and looking around at average signing bonuses. I saw Kirkland offering some large signing bonuses to corporate attorneys. Is there an average signing bonus for litigation/regulatory associates? I would like to negotiate the best deal for myself but I was curious if there are boundaries. Clearly I won't get anywhere near $250k and probably not above $100k.

I would be a mid-level associate.

What else is negotiable? I heard you can ask for the year-end bonus not to be tied to a bonus target. Would it be unreasonable to ask for that in November?

Thanks everyone!

[Joachim2017]

I'm looking to lateral to a law firm soon and looking around at average signing bonuses. I saw Kirkland offering some large signing bonuses to corporate attorneys. Is there an average signing bonus for litigation/regulatory associates? I would like to negotiate the best deal for myself but I was curious if there are boundaries. Clearly I won't get anywhere near $250k and probably not above $100k.

I would be a mid-level associate.

What else is negotiable? I heard you can ask for the year-end bonus not to be tied to a bonus target. Would it be unreasonable to ask for that in November?

Thanks everyone!

Could you even get $100k as a lit lateral? I'd be surprised if that were true based on what I know/have heard.

[The Lsat Airbender]

Is there an average signing bonus for litigation/regulatory associates?

Market is $0. You might do better if you're in a niche which the firm desperately needs.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think anyone is paying bonuses to lit attorneys. Kirkland offered me $250k signing and $200k annual bonus, but I'm in exec comp.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think anyone is paying bonuses to lit attorneys. Kirkland offered me $250k signing and $200k annual bonus, but I'm in exec comp.

This is OP. I know this isn't strictly true. My friend recently lateraled in lit and he got a signing bonus. I haven't asked him how much it was but I may have to to temper my negotiations. I was looking for other data points.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think anyone is paying bonuses to lit attorneys. Kirkland offered me $250k signing and $200k annual bonus, but I'm in exec comp.

What year are you? I’m in exec comp and didn’t get offered anywhere near that (got closer to half that and just a 1.5x Cravath year end). Also, I’m assuming (and hoping) your offer was from the Spring when Kirkland was hurting a lot for bodies. I know that the bonuses for exec comp have decreased more recently since they’ve increased the group by like 15, but I didn’t realize it was that high before.

[The Lsat Airbender]

I don't think anyone is paying bonuses to lit attorneys. Kirkland offered me $250k signing and $200k annual bonus, but I'm in exec comp.

This is OP. I know this isn't strictly true. My friend recently lateraled in lit and he got a signing bonus. I haven't asked him how much it was but I may have to to temper my negotiations. I was looking for other data points.

Ask your friend...? Among other things his "signing bonus" may have just been a "we know you're giving up EoY bonus by changing firms in August so we'll gross you up for that and then prorate EoY". Which is nice and worth negotiating for but not really what people mean by "signing bonus".

[Anonymous User]

On this front, is there a "typical" way firms handle associates who begin in January if the firms' calendar year, for bonus purposes, ends like, the previous September? Otherwise you'd lose 3 months?

[2013]

Your post says you’re looking “to lateral to a law firm.” I take this to mean that you’re not at a firm. Do you know for sure that you’d be a midlevel associate?

Also, I know people who have switched to firms from government, accounting firms, etc., and none of them got any signing bonus, even for corporate. The large signing bonuses you hear of and see are for experienced midlevel/senior associates.

Think the going rate for junior corporate associates is like $25-50k and year-end true-up guaranteed, and they’re considered hot commodities right now.

A general litigation associate (not a niche practice) not moving from a firm probably would get nothing, not even a year-end bonus guarantee. You don’t have as much leverage, and firms probably get tons of litigation applications from clerks all the time.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think anyone is paying bonuses to lit attorneys. Kirkland offered me $250k signing and $200k annual bonus, but I'm in exec comp.

What year are you? I’m in exec comp and didn’t get offered anywhere near that (got closer to half that and just a 1.5x Cravath year end). Also, I’m assuming (and hoping) your offer was from the Spring when Kirkland was hurting a lot for bodies. I know that the bonuses for exec comp have decreased more recently since they’ve increased the group by like 15, but I didn’t realize it was that high before.

This was just a couple of weeks ago in the midst of that hiring spree you're referencing. I'm a senior associate or a Kirkland NSP.

[Anonymous User]

I don't think anyone is paying bonuses to lit attorneys. Kirkland offered me $250k signing and $200k annual bonus, but I'm in exec comp.

What year are you? I’m in exec comp and didn’t get offered anywhere near that (got closer to half that and just a 1.5x Cravath year end). Also, I’m assuming (and hoping) your offer was from the Spring when Kirkland was hurting a lot for bodies. I know that the bonuses for exec comp have decreased more recently since they’ve increased the group by like 15, but I didn’t realize it was that high before.

This was just a couple of weeks ago in the midst of that hiring spree you're referencing. I'm a senior associate or a Kirkland NSP.

Ah, that makes a lot more sense. I must’ve been at the tail end or the firm needed more NSP to balance out the influx of juniors. I’m a midlevel (3-5), and the offer I got was ~$100k and ~$125k. It wasn’t enough to make me move, but $250k and $200k would’ve.

[Anonymous User]

If the offer letter is completely silent as to whether the signing bonus is contingent on staying a certain amount of time, fair to assume there is no contingency? Do firms that don’t have the contingency still make a stink if you don’t complete the year (and do they have anything they can/will do about it)?

[Anonymous User]

Just wanted to chime in to agree that the market signing bonus for litigation laterals in biglaw right now is zero, and on top of that you'll likely have your annual bonus pro rated, which means giving up a significant chunk of your bonus if you're coming from another big firm. The lit market is not hot, nowhere comparable to corporate.

[Anonymous User]

Just wanted to chime in to agree that the market signing bonus for litigation laterals in biglaw right now is zero, and on top of that you'll likely have your annual bonus pro rated, which means giving up a significant chunk of your bonus if you're coming from another big firm. The lit market is not hot, nowhere comparable to corporate.

This is not true. I’m a lit midlevel associate, specifically antitrust, and I’ve received an offer with a significant signing bonus - over six figures - in the past few months. It’s not likely, but it’s not impossible.

[Anonymous User]

If it's "not likely but not impossible" that means market bonus is zero. Market is what everyone is doing, not the exceptions.

Did OP clarify their background and reason to assume they can lateral as a midlevel? This is all probably moot.

[Anonymous User]

Just wanted to chime in to agree that the market signing bonus for litigation laterals in biglaw right now is zero, and on top of that you'll likely have your annual bonus pro rated, which means giving up a significant chunk of your bonus if you're coming from another big firm. The lit market is not hot, nowhere comparable to corporate.

This is not true. I’m a lit midlevel associate, specifically antitrust, and I’ve received an offer with a significant signing bonus - over six figures - in the past few months. It’s not likely, but it’s not impossible.

Was this in an antitrust group? I'm a midlevel general lit associate and have talked to multiple recruiters who have pushed me toward antitrust despite my total lack of experience (and interest) in it. I sense that antitrust is quite hot while general litigation is just average hotness. It's certainly not cool and there are openings, but it is not in the same universe as many transactional practices that are in white-hot massive signing bonuses world.

[Monochromatic Oeuvre]

If the offer letter is completely silent as to whether the signing bonus is contingent on staying a certain amount of time, fair to assume there is no contingency? Do firms that don’t have the contingency still make a stink if you don’t complete the year (and do they have anything they can/will do about it)?

Well, yes, you don't have to agree to any of a firm's rules you didn't promise to agree to in a contract. As long as you didn't promise to "abide by all of the firm's procedures" or whatever and it's explicitly stated that you have to.

If there's no such restriction explicitly laid out, you can quit immediately after receiving that bonus. I've seen this happen and it's hilarious. The firm will call and email you about how unprofessional you are and how much you're ruining your reputation, but there's fuck all they can really do about it.

[Anonymous User]

Just wanted to chime in to agree that the market signing bonus for litigation laterals in biglaw right now is zero, and on top of that you'll likely have your annual bonus pro rated, which means giving up a significant chunk of your bonus if you're coming from another big firm. The lit market is not hot, nowhere comparable to corporate.

This is not true. I’m a lit midlevel associate, specifically antitrust, and I’ve received an offer with a significant signing bonus - over six figures - in the past few months. It’s not likely, but it’s not impossible.

Was this in an antitrust group? I'm a midlevel general lit associate and have talked to multiple recruiters who have pushed me toward antitrust despite my total lack of experience (and interest) in it. I sense that antitrust is quite hot while general litigation is just average hotness. It's certainly not cool and there are openings, but it is not in the same universe as many transactional practices that are in white-hot massive signing bonuses world.

midlevel l&e here.. offered 60K signing bonus for general L&E role w/ significant focus on dealwork.

[Anonymous User]

Senior lit associate here. I was offered a six-figure signing bonus + a true up of EOY bonus, and that was not my only offer. There is definitely a market for litigation associates at some of the bigger shops.

[Anonymous User]

If there's no such restriction explicitly laid out, you can quit immediately after receiving that bonus. I've seen this happen and it's hilarious. The firm will call and email you about how unprofessional you are and how much you're ruining your reputation, but there's fuck all they can really do about it.

That is absolute comedy. Crazy that any law firm of all places wouldn't make a lock-up restriction abundantly clear.

[Anonymous User]

Any insight on signing bonuses for a mid-level lateral to SF biglaw lit? I had assumed market was $0 but this thread indicates otherwise.

[jotarokujo]

i understand demand for lit right now is merely normal, but what about regulatory? is regulatory not also hot along with corporate?

[Anonymous User]

I recently negotiated 50k sign-on bonus in a second tier market as a general litigator. 3rd year. Clerked for a year earlier. Negotiated a full end of year bonus. They started w 10k.

Another "top firm" in this city started at 20k and flatly rejected any offer to negotiate.

[jotarokujo]

I recently negotiated 50k sign-on bonus in a second tier market as a general litigator. 3rd year. Clerked for a year earlier. Negotiated a full end of year bonus. They started w 10k.

Another "top firm" in this city started at 20k and flatly rejected any offer to negotiate.

did you also get a separate clerkship bonus?