EOY Bonuses Forum

[Anonymous User]

ATL reported Boies' scale:
Class year 2-2349 2350-2599 2600+
2022 $15,000 $30,000 $40,000
2021 $20,000 $40,000 $50,000
2020 $30,000 $50,000 $60,000
2019 $57,500 $75,000 $85,000
2018 $75,000 $100,000 $115,000
2017 $90,000 $120,000 $135,000
2016 $105,000 $140,000 $150,000
2015+ $115,000 $150,000 $165,000

So, a match, but with a bit of a kicker for more hours.

[Anonymous User]

No one cares about Boies. That sure looks like more hedging to set the bonus amounts in.

[Anonymous User]

ATL reported Boies' scale:
Class year 2-2349 2350-2599 2600+
2022 $15,000 $30,000 $40,000
2021 $20,000 $40,000 $50,000
2020 $30,000 $50,000 $60,000
2019 $57,500 $75,000 $85,000
2018 $75,000 $100,000 $115,000
2017 $90,000 $120,000 $135,000
2016 $105,000 $140,000 $150,000
2015+ $115,000 $150,000 $165,000

So, a match, but with a bit of a kicker for more hours.

Looks like they raised the 2350+ amount by $10k compared to last year. So that's nice I guess.

[Anonymous User]

The Baker scale is already being matched? This isn't good

[Anonymous User]

The Baker scale is already being matched? This isn't good

No one cares what Boies does. They're a weird litigation outlier that doesn't influence the market in any way. Repeat after me: All that matters is what Cravath, DPW, and Milbank do. Everything else follows from that.
(Unless some other V25 roars in and shocks the market by becoming a spoiler, like Milbank decided to become the last few years; but as pointed out up-thread most of the candidates for that like STB, S&C, Skadden seem to have calmed down in the past decade and aren't in that game anymore, preferring just to match the leaders; biglaw *associate* compensation is weird in that it is driven marketwide by a very small number of firms.)

[Anonymous User]

The Baker scale is already being matched? This isn't good

Yes by Boies though

[Anonymous User]

Guys it's taking a little extra while because Cravath wants to make sure they have the liquidity lined up for when they announce a scale that's 2x last year's. Everyone be chill it's gonna be a great Christmas.

[Anonymous User]

I feel like CravaTTTh is continuing to prove they are not in fact a market setting firm on comp by continuing to wait to release a scale on their normal timeline (presumably waiting to see what DPW/Milbank do since Cravath made it clear last year that their goal is to pay as little money as possible).

[Anonymous User]

Is tomorrow the day or is there still hope for today?

[Anonymous User]

I feel like CravaTTTh is continuing to prove they are not in fact a market setting firm on comp by continuing to wait to release a scale on their normal timeline (presumably waiting to see what DPW/Milbank do since Cravath made it clear last year that their goal is to pay as little money as possible).

This. But realistically, everyone wants to pay as little as possible. Baker looks ridiculous trying to anchor the bonus conversation to last year’s baseline. Boies’ extra brackets are downright stupid. 349 hours get you nothing extra lol way to demoralize your associates. Bunch of clowns.

[Anonymous User]

I feel like CravaTTTh is continuing to prove they are not in fact a market setting firm on comp by continuing to wait to release a scale on their normal timeline (presumably waiting to see what DPW/Milbank do since Cravath made it clear last year that their goal is to pay as little money as possible).

This. But realistically, everyone wants to pay as little as possible. Baker looks ridiculous trying to anchor the bonus conversation to last year’s baseline. Boies’ extra brackets are downright stupid. 349 hours get you nothing extra lol way to demoralize your associates. Bunch of clowns.

Lawyers really are bad managers, aren't they. This is why peer firms create a flat scale and leave it be. How demoralizing would it be to be some guy who billed 2,325 and miss e.g., a $35,000 kicker by 25 hours because you didn't do enough for David Boies that year. lmfao

[Anonymous User]

This could be one of those years where the big players don't announce until the first full week of December or later ugh

[Anonymous User]

Cravath matched Baker. Got screenshot directly from someone there. Looks like it’s going to be a stagnant year.

[WW25]

Somewhat surprising

[Anonymous User]

Cravath hasn’t put up in years. It’s all about DPW and Milbank

[12YrsAnAssociate]

Didn't someone here create a fake Kirkland bonus memo a few years back? That's the type of out of the box thinking we need here now.

[Anonymous User]

Cravath matched Baker as reported on ATL
https://abovethelaw.com/2022/11/cravath-bonuses-22/

[Anonymous User]

This seems like the best possible move. Cravath has certainly set the floor now, and DPW/Milbank could up the ante.

[Anonymous User]

Cravath matched Baker as reported on ATL
https://abovethelaw.com/2022/11/cravath-bonuses-22/

Can imagine DPW now pouncing with like a 5% bonus raise (could even frame that extra 5% as special bonus so they can take it away next year if they need to), but not really anything beyond that. And since Cravath has moved I doubt they will re-raise after getting outraised. So I'm guessing the ceiling on all this is just Baker + 5%

[Anonymizer]

Lol the Baker scale

[Anonymous User]

Wow pathetic.

[Anonymous User]

Lol the Baker scale

Baker leads Cravath follows is now fact for 365 days

[Anonymous User]

But Cravath V1 amirite?

[Anonymous User]

Cravath dropped 7th/8th year associates off the scale. Apparently, bonuses will be discussed individually with those associates. Expect the other firms will ignore and follow the Baker scale.

[Anonymous User]

Cravath has been a toilet since at least 2019, and one that continually reduces the number of bidets it holds. They offer no above-market bumps despite actual hours expectations being well beyond 2000, and its associates have been out-earned by their counterparts at nearly every V50 for several years now. Their stance is pathetic, yes, but also fucking irrelevant.