Hit billable target, but partial bonus Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm an AUSA with many years of experience. I was in private practice and got screwed in precisely the exact same manner by partners at my law firm. It is really difficult to describe the emotional experience of being fucked this way, given all of the literally personal sacrifices that you actually described in this thread, plus others I remember too from my days:
* Your physical health
* Weight gain
* Relationships with loved ones
* Life-impacting decisions about marriage or kids

In short, you make decisions that favor the law firm over you on all of those criteria, and then one day you get a notice about your bonus and the firm has essentially said: "Ha ha, fuck you!"

Welcome to private practice. Make your cash for as long as you choose to and then get the hell out amigo.

[Anonymous User]

This is all why no one should ever pick the law firm over your own best interests. The law firm is looking out for itself; you need to look out for yourself.

(Not trying to say people don’t deserve to be upset in such a situation; of course you do. Of course it’s upsetting when a firm goes back on what it seems to have clearly communicated to you. Just, don’t trust them until/unless it’s in writing.)

[Anonymous User]

OP, if this wasn’t an error by the firm, this isn’t good. And I don’t mean for the firm; I mean for you. (Also shady of firm but that’s not purpose of this post.)

To the extent not already said, I would be looking to lateral, go in house, whatever asap.

To be clear: I’m not saying it means you will be laid off. What I am saying is that if layoffs (or even soft pushes) come, you are in the splash zone.

OP here. The firm pays out bonuses this month and will send out bonus letters probably next week. So we will see. Sorry for being unclear in my post. Nothing has actually happened yet. Just concerned.

The firm has been cheap in other ways in the past too. I'm so sick and tired of this firm.

TBH based on the timing of bonus announcements (very few announce in February), you've basically outed the firm. Is it Cooley? Just tell us so we can shame them and direct naïve rising 2Ls elsewhere.

Would not be surprised if it was White & Case. Had a physical disability for which I sought temporary accommodations and was still hounded about RTO to the point of basically being told to leave. Had I hit their bonus threshold I'm sure they would've docked it. I've since left but have heard from people who remain that, at their most recent Townhall the firm put up seriously low firm avg. for hours and they've been canceling firm wide events "based on finances," i.e. their World Cup. I would definitely leave again from an environment that's pinching pennies whether White or not.

edit -- omg so sorry I just read through the post where you outed them. My bad!! I lateral'd out over the last few months and definitely felt that that hiring was sliding towards the beginning of 2023. If there's anything I can do to help you, please just reply and we can find a way to connect.

[Anonymous User]

Your class year was cut and you didn’t get market bonus when hitting your target. That’s a big F you from your firm. You should not be believing any assurances they are giving you. I would be looking actively, whether it is in your market or not. The writing is already on the wall, you’re going to be asked to leave, they are just documenting it with poor performance reviews / docking bonuses/pay so that it comes off as performance related and not because of firm economics. You probably will get the “time to leave” talk this summer and will be given a few months separation package / website time. The fact that you are still actively on deals means nothing.

OP here. Yes, it's a big fuck you from my firm, and I have started looking. But this partner I work for had no idea that the firm was going to screw my bonus. When he gave me my review and cut my year about two months ago, he reassured me this won't have any impact on my bonus. I was obviously worried but he kept on telling me not to worry. He even said worrying about bonus will be a waste of my own time as I will get it for sure. When I told him about what happened, he was genuinely surprised. I will discuss further during the coming week, but the point is, especially considering all my interactions with this partner, I don't think it's his intention to get rid of me. It's different from New York. I work with this just one partner and our relationship has generally been close and good. He put in efforts to make it clear to me that the class cut will be just temporary and that he will try to help me get my year back. The problem is that he doesn't seem to have much power over the firm's HR decisions including compensation. The craziest thing about this firm is that the partners in other offices with whom I never worked determine my bonus amount without discussing with the partner for whom I do all my work. Common sense tells me that when an associate just works for one partner and no one else, whether that associate should get a full market bonus should be decided by that partner with whom that associate worked throughout the year.

I’m going to be real with you because your situation is not unique.

(1) You say you only did work for one partner but had mixed reviews. That means you did work for other people too and did not do as good a job for those people as you did for your main partner.
(2) You state yourself that your partner doesn’t seem to have any power over HR’s decisions and compensation. This is accurate - he likely has zero power. If he had any, you would not have been cut a class year, you would not have been given a partial bonus and you wouldn’t be posting here. A non influential partner like him has only so much “firm capital” that they can use for things they want, and even if he says he’s going to try and save your job, it’s unlikely to happen given he hasn’t or has been unable to do so to date.
(3) HR decisions and comp decisions at almost every firm are not decided by the partners you exclusively or predominantly work for. It is almost always by an HR committee or a compensation committee and they will solely look at your hours and rating. A partner with influence could appeal the lower bonus or class cut but that clearly hasn’t happened successfully here.

I have heard of only one case where a partner really tried to save an associate’s job in similar circumstances and even then the end result was not good (just a longer transition period). All other cases (10+) I’ve heard of where someone got no or partial bonus when hitting hours because of mixed reviews or had their class year cut was followed by “the talk” within 4-6 months.

I get wanting to wait until the market recovers, but some food for thought:
(A) Why stay and do any work (or kill yourself with hours trying to get your comp back) for a firm that clearly does not VALUE you or your efforts?
(B) There are still many law firm and in house jobs on the market. If this partner is as invested in your career as he says he is, he should have a good network you can leverage for a job. Talk to him, I doubt he’ll be surprised you want to leave but if he’s as invested in your career as you say he is, he shouldn’t leak it to the firm and he should help you land on your feet.
(C) Hustle. The lateral market now is what the typical lateral market looks like when the market isn’t booming. Find a good head hunter (ask former colleagues and friends for recommendations) and work with them to find something in your market or another market you would be willing to work in.
(D) Take this as a good sign and a good turn in your career. You are leaving a firm that does not value you. Find a place that clearly values their associates (hard in big law) or their in-house counsel (less hard to find).

just in response to (1): I would believe this if I did not have the exact same experience as OP at White and Case only a few months prior. The financial situation there is very dire and they are pressurizing situations with more and more attorneys, particularly those they think will be quiet about it, with this kind of behavior. The last year they were so mad that I had entirely glowing reviews from every person that I worked with so when the review season came they had to get reviews from random people in the office about how often I came in in order to justify treating me as though I did not deserve physical accommodations for a temp. disability. Their game is literally to gaslight you about how awful you are by taking random people and having them assassinate you in your review for coverage. Don't feel bad, the firm just has no money. In my practice area, for example, their corresponding group is known to other U.S. groups as "the Island of Misfit Toys." This group has pitched dozens of representations, and by all means, should be getting them as the space we are in is beginning to heat up. But, they are not prestigious enough in this practice to compete so even this hedge is looking more like a serious cost. They think stealthing you like this will not affect their reputation in U.S. rankings and prestige because you are not a U.S. law student (for example). Good for you for outing them. In my experience, it really is the only way to hold people accountable.

[Anonymous User]

Speaking of bonuses, what do people think about this?

https://abovethelaw.com/2023/03/davis-p ... ttendance/

[Anonymous User]

Speaking of bonuses, what do people think about this?

https://abovethelaw.com/2023/03/davis-p ... ttendance/

I think the notion of "market" pay is losing some vitality. At a firm with hours or attendance requirements or whatever, (expected pay) = (base salary) + (probability of actually getting bonus)*(bonus amount). I suspect that at a good many firms, this number is significantly below what people reflexively refer to as "market." This more accurate way of thinking privileges firms without hours requirements or with higher-than-market base salaries.

[Anonymous User]

Deleted.

[Anonymous User]

Love the Island of Misfit toys. Can concur, things are looking rough but candidly improving. I’d expect some heads to roll in coming 3 months unless market gets off the mat like it did in 2020. I think Cap Markers is essentially gutted now.