Typical In-House Salary Package for Junior Lawyer? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Congrats, this is wild comp. Also, that initial $400k had to be worth big money after the run FAANGM has had. One question, how often do you get stock grants? Is it just the one time or some sort of annual grant?

Sorry, just sawI missed this. You continue to get annual "equity refresh" grants each year that keep your target comp steady. That said, because of the run FAANG has been on--there's a huge financial cliff for some folks coming off their initial grant. The initial grant might have been priced at $900 when you start, but by the end of the vesting period could be $3000. Each refresh grant is priced at market value so you can make considerably less in total comp after year 4 depending on the company (as the stock price steadies).

[Anonymous User]

Media/Entertainment Company
180k base
15% bonus
4.5 years V10 big law
Major Market (CA/NY)
No equity

I'm aware that entertainment generally pays less, but does this seem too low?

This is the same as mine. I also went in house to a media/entertainment company after almost 5 years at a firm about a year ago. I think unfortunately they just don’t pay market. I’m trying to find a new job to increase my salary but I suspect it will take a while because of Covid.

[Anonymous User]

Non-banking F100 financial company in NY

$115k base
$10k signing bonus
Up to $8200 performance bonus
9% 401k contribution (automatic 3% plus up to an additional 6% match)
Great healthcare, generous PTO, etc.
No equity
0 years experience, straight out of school

[thelawyler]

C/o 2014 here, started as an associate counsel at a FAANGM in NYC three years ago out of BigLaw and just started an another FAANGM company last month (this time as a corporate counsel).

Stats for company 1:
- $145k base w/ ~$50,000 cash gross-up in each of years 1 and 2, stock grant worth $400k vesting over four, no bonus.

Stats for company 2:
- $250k base, 25% target bonus, $200k stock grant vesting over four years.

I'm class year 2015 and am still in NYC big law doing M&A/PE, and am very interested in jumping ship to a FAANGM company in the next year.

Mind if I ask I should be doing to land one of these in NYC? What avenues should I explore to get my foot in the door (recruiters, certain websites, direct applying, insiders such as non-legal employees at those companies asking, etc.) and what experience should I look for or emphasize to make myself more attractive? Would your salary have stayed competitive at company 1 if you stayed or did the jump help? If I went in now, would I expect similar comp?

[Anonymous User]

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[Anonymous User]

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[Anonymous User]

Base: 170k
Bonus: 20-25%
401k: contribution up to 5%
Equity: none
Market: Fully remote position/no HCOL for me guyz
Industry: Finance
Practice: Funds

Merit/col salary increases of 5% annually.

Class of 16, 3 years in biglaw. AMA.

[Anonymous User]

Base: 170k
Bonus: 20-25%
401k: contribution up to 5%
Equity: none
Market: Fully remote position/no HCOL for me guyz
Industry: Finance
Practice: Funds

Merit/col salary increases of 5% annually.

Class of 16, 3 years in biglaw. AMA.

Is this what you made when you first went in house or what you make now? If the former, what kind of raises have you gotten since?

Also is this a hedge fund or PE? Was this a relatively “market” offer from what you could tell? Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Base: 170k
Bonus: 20-25%
401k: contribution up to 5%
Equity: none
Market: Fully remote position/no HCOL for me guyz
Industry: Finance
Practice: Funds

Merit/col salary increases of 5% annually.

Class of 16, 3 years in biglaw. AMA.

Is this what you made when you first went in house or what you make now? If the former, what kind of raises have you gotten since?

Also is this a hedge fund or PE? Was this a relatively “market” offer from what you could tell? Thanks!

I came in a bit lower on base salary, as its gone to 170k over the course of 2 years with the merit increase I refer to above. I'll be up for promotion (basically the next counsel rung, not really a title promotion) next year, which should result in a 20-25k jump in base. PE, a bit better than market offer in the firm's HQ city but keep in mind I'm remote (and was prior to COVID). From what I understand that didn't lower my numbers from someone who is at HQ same level.

[Anonymous User]

Base: 170k
Bonus: 20-25%
401k: contribution up to 5%
Equity: none
Market: Fully remote position/no HCOL for me guyz
Industry: Finance
Practice: Funds

Merit/col salary increases of 5% annually.

Class of 16, 3 years in biglaw. AMA.

Is this what you made when you first went in house or what you make now? If the former, what kind of raises have you gotten since?

Also is this a hedge fund or PE? Was this a relatively “market” offer from what you could tell? Thanks!

I came in a bit lower on base salary, as its gone to 170k over the course of 2 years with the merit increase I refer to above. I'll be up for promotion (basically the next counsel rung, not really a title promotion) next year, which should result in a 20-25k jump in base. PE, a bit better than market offer in the firm's HQ city but keep in mind I'm remote (and was prior to COVID). From what I understand that didn't lower my numbers from someone who is at HQ same level.

Thanks for this! Sorry, a few other questions if you don't mind, what's the size of the legal department and reporting lines? Did you consider the differences between large legal teams at like KKR/Carlyle/Blackstone vs. smaller legal teams at a middle market shop? Any sense of the pro's and con's of each (including comp)?

Thanks so much!

[Anonymous User]

Base: 170k
Bonus: 20-25%
401k: contribution up to 5%
Equity: none
Market: Fully remote position/no HCOL for me guyz
Industry: Finance
Practice: Funds

Merit/col salary increases of 5% annually.

Class of 16, 3 years in biglaw. AMA.

Is this what you made when you first went in house or what you make now? If the former, what kind of raises have you gotten since?

Also is this a hedge fund or PE? Was this a relatively “market” offer from what you could tell? Thanks!

I came in a bit lower on base salary, as its gone to 170k over the course of 2 years with the merit increase I refer to above. I'll be up for promotion (basically the next counsel rung, not really a title promotion) next year, which should result in a 20-25k jump in base. PE, a bit better than market offer in the firm's HQ city but keep in mind I'm remote (and was prior to COVID). From what I understand that didn't lower my numbers from someone who is at HQ same level.

Thanks for this! Sorry, a few other questions if you don't mind, what's the size of the legal department and reporting lines? Did you consider the differences between large legal teams at like KKR/Carlyle/Blackstone vs. smaller legal teams at a middle market shop? Any sense of the pro's and con's of each (including comp)?

Thanks so much!

Sure no problem. Legal dept size as a whole is around 30 full time lawyers. We also have a handful of contract attorneys. Reporting structure--GC at the top, then heads of each department (transactions, fund formation, tax, etc), then corporate counsels ranging from senior to junior.

I interviewed with a couple smaller shops with ~4 person legal teams and I think it's a similar choice as biglaw vs midlaw. Comp however could be significantly higher at a smaller PE shop as you're more likely to get equity. Obviously that comes with risk of manager performance. I was familiar with my current shop as it was a client of my firm and felt more stable joining a manager with an established record and also wanted some support from more senior lawyers, but to each their own.

[Anonymous User]

Bay Area Tech (Non-FAANG)

220k base
15% annual cash bonus
$15k sign-on bonus
$130k/4yr equity
Generous benefits (nearly free healthcare, 401K match, etc.)
3.5 years biglaw

[SamuelDanforth]

Bay Area Tech (Non-FAANG)

220k base
15% annual cash bonus
$15k sign-on bonus
$130k/4yr equity
Generous benefits (nearly free healthcare, 401K match, etc.)
3.5 years biglaw

Is this a public tech company? What practice were you in before making the jump? Thanks.

[Anonymous User]

Bay Area Tech (Non-FAANG)

220k base
15% annual cash bonus
$15k sign-on bonus
$130k/4yr equity
Generous benefits (nearly free healthcare, 401K match, etc.)
3.5 years biglaw

Is this in a commercial licensing or corporate role?

[Anonymous User]

Bay Area Tech (Non-FAANG)

220k base
15% annual cash bonus
$15k sign-on bonus
$130k/4yr equity
Generous benefits (nearly free healthcare, 401K match, etc.)
3.5 years biglaw

Is this in a commercial licensing or corporate role?

Corporate/securities role at pubco. Did mostly cap mkts work at firm.

[Anonymous User]

Bay Area Tech (Non-FAANG)

220k base
15% annual cash bonus
$15k sign-on bonus
$130k/4yr equity
Generous benefits (nearly free healthcare, 401K match, etc.)
3.5 years biglaw

this is a helpful data point, thanks for sharing

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know what Associate Corp Counsel range is at Amazon? Is $270k TC right if you come in at high end of the band?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know what Associate Corp Counsel range is at Amazon? Is $270k TC right if you come in at high end of the band?

I don’t know about it being the high end of the band but that sounds about right for base+equity from what I’ve heard from friends.

[Anonymous User]

Late stage, pre-IPO company in a relatively low COL secondary market.

$150,000 base salary
About 25% of base salary in RSUs
Decent benefits (401k matching, good health insurance, unlimited vacation)
Hours are more than the typical 9-5 seen in other in house jobs, primarily due to the start-up nature of the business

1.5 years at a small firm prior to this gig, so made the move pretty early.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have a sense of Microsoft's compensation package for a mid-level?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have a sense of Microsoft's compensation package for a mid-level?

Corporate Counsel total comp seems to be around $200k target ($150-160k salary + stock/cash) in WA

[hipcatdaddio]

Class of 2017 AmLaw100 litigation associate who recently went in-house with a Forbes 100 non-profit.

Position is 100% remote and I live in a small market (think Salt Lake City, Richmond, Memphis, OKC, etc.) with low COL.

Base: $125k
Signing bonus: $10k
6% 401k matching
Employer covers healthcare/vision/dental/term life insurance
Generous PTO policy
End-of-year bonus eligible, amount usually between $10k-$15k.

Due to non-profit nature, there's no real bottom line pressures or pressure to justify my salary. Work hours are basically 8:30-5pm.

It was a no-brainer to make the move.

[Anonymous User]

c/o 2016
F500 company in SoCal

$142k base
$90k RSUs/3 years
15% bonus
$45k signing bonus
Insurance, etc. is $0
401k match to $9500

I am probably not accepting. They have indicated they will not budge and I find that base almost insultingly low for my experience/credentials.

[Anonymous User]

F500 Tech Company (non FAANG)

C/o 2013 - fully remote position
Base: 250k
12-15% Bonus
$15k signing bonus
6% 401k Match
15% off ESPP
30 days PTO/great healthcare etc.

[Anonymous User]

Remote job for Bay Area tech
c/o 2013 (7th year)
235k base
8% annual bonus
$260k/4 year equity
Benefits: No 401k match, but 15% discount ESPP, solid healthcare benefits

Downside of tequity is our stock has dropped precipitously from when I was priced in. Big comp hit unless we recover.