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Can people provide some more background on KE's NSP system and why so many people want to get out?

I have an offer to join KE as an NSP. I understand that KE is generally not a great place to be but wondering if it's still worth it. For background, I'm a LW senior associate. I don't think I'll make partner at Latham. I'm wondering if it's a viable strategy to go to KE as NSP for a few years, then lateral to a better firm as a "real" partner. Does KE NSP have enough credibility to do that?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 13, 2024 4:21 pm

Can people provide some more background on KE's NSP system and why so many people want to get out?

I have an offer to join KE as an NSP. I understand that KE is generally not a great place to be but wondering if it's still worth it. For background, I'm a LW senior associate. I don't think I'll make partner at Latham. I'm wondering if it's a viable strategy to go to KE as NSP for a few years, then lateral to a better firm as a "real" partner. Does KE NSP have enough credibility to do that?

**Gets popcorn***

Is the base salary compensation for a Kirkland first-year NSP the same as a senior associate base compensation at similar firms where they don't promote to partnership as early? (i.e., $420k)?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 14, 2024 6:18 pm

Is the base salary compensation for a Kirkland first-year NSP the same as a senior associate base compensation at similar firms where they don't promote to partnership as early? (i.e., $420k)?

Every TLS thread eventually converges to this question. You could have clicked on literally any post in here and gotten an answer.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 14, 2024 7:33 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 14, 2024 6:18 pm

Is the base salary compensation for a Kirkland first-year NSP the same as a senior associate base compensation at similar firms where they don't promote to partnership as early? (i.e., $420k)?

Every TLS thread eventually converges to this question. You could have clicked on literally any post in here and gotten an answer.

There's like 20 topics on the first page in "Legal Employment" and none address that. So it's not "literally any post in here." There's a 37-page Kirkland "mega thread" but it's got reams and reams of posts that don't actually have an answer. If you don't want to answer, just ignore the post. If you're such a regular at TLS, it strikes me you're not someone with such a limited amount of time to spare...

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 14, 2024 8:00 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 14, 2024 7:33 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 14, 2024 6:18 pm

Is the base salary compensation for a Kirkland first-year NSP the same as a senior associate base compensation at similar firms where they don't promote to partnership as early? (i.e., $420k)?

Every TLS thread eventually converges to this question. You could have clicked on literally any post in here and gotten an answer.

There's like 20 topics on the first page in "Legal Employment" and none address that. So it's not "literally any post in here." There's a 37-page Kirkland "mega thread" but it's got reams and reams of posts that don't actually have an answer. If you don't want to answer, just ignore the post. If you're such a regular at TLS, it strikes me you're not someone with such a limited amount of time to spare...

Do you even know what the word literally means?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 14, 2024 6:18 pm

Is the base salary compensation for a Kirkland first-year NSP the same as a senior associate base compensation at similar firms where they don't promote to partnership as early? (i.e., $420k)?

Kirkland NSP is essentially the same as market for the same class year at a peer firm with a small bump (around 15k). There's a bit of a black box though where different lawyers can get different compositions of base + bonus with different guarantees. Anecdotally, one NSP might get 400k base and a guarantee of 650k year-end total comp as long as they hit 2100 billables while another NSP might get 420k base and no guarantee.

gaddockteeg wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 15, 2024 12:04 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 14, 2024 6:18 pm

Is the base salary compensation for a Kirkland first-year NSP the same as a senior associate base compensation at similar firms where they don't promote to partnership as early? (i.e., $420k)?

Kirkland NSP is essentially the same as market for the same class year at a peer firm with a small bump (around 15k). There's a bit of a black box though where different lawyers can get different compositions of base + bonus with different guarantees. Anecdotally, one NSP might get 400k base and a guarantee of 650k year-end total comp as long as they hit 2100 billables while another NSP might get 420k base and no guarantee.

Thank you!

This doesn't account for the significant changes in taxes and so on. If you're in Texas NSP is a huge hit. If you're in NY or CA it can be net neutral or even a benefit. There are all kinds of puts and takes on this.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 14, 2024 7:33 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 14, 2024 6:18 pm

Is the base salary compensation for a Kirkland first-year NSP the same as a senior associate base compensation at similar firms where they don't promote to partnership as early? (i.e., $420k)?

Every TLS thread eventually converges to this question. You could have clicked on literally any post in here and gotten an answer.

Ridiculous terminally online take.

I’ll add that this varies significantly depending if you’re talking about an NSP who’s 7-8 years out of law school (which are paid more or less Cravath scale for those years, with a bunch of complexity that mostly evens out or is maybe slightly worse due to taxes etc) or one who is 9+ years (in which case they have some individualized deal that could range anywhere from 8th year associate comp up to $2m fixed. NSP is a massive, massive bucket of people in all different situations.