These Salaries Go Up To $415K: The Biglaw Firms That Are Increasing Associate Compensation

// Since we broke the news of the new $215K salary scale for associates at large law firms in the United States — a trend that was started by Milbank on Thursday, January 20, 2022, just six months after the firm started the last salary war in 2021 — several firms have fallen in line and matched the scale, but dozens more firms have remained completely silent. Davis Polk finally decided to step in with more money for associates, and Cravath added even more money on top of that. Coupled with Cravath’s final say, maybe this Above the Law feature will encourage more firms to pay up. After all, the lateral scene is white-hot right now, and increased salaries will only encourage talent to remain loyal to their firms.

[Ed. note: This table was last updated on March 11.]

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Today, we unveil a table of all of the firms that have already matched the new salary scale (or instituted raises, generally, because of the new salary scale) and the date those matches were made for your viewing pleasure. We will be updating this table on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times, as news on raises unfolds. If you see any information here that is incorrect or needs further clarification, let us know.

We are covering this trend extensively, so please drop us a line — text (646-820-8477) or email (subject line: “[Firm Name] Matches”) — when you know of a firm making a compensation move. Please include the memo if available. You can take a photo of the memo and send it via text or email if you don’t want to forward the original PDF or Word file. Sources are kept confidential.

Firm Date Matched Milbank
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K FIRST MOVER
January 20, 2022 Cadwalader
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $385K $396.5K $415K
Class of 2013+: $406.5K $425K January 20, 2022
February 24, 2022 (re-raise)
March 9, 2022 (second re-raise) McDermott Will & Emery
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K $396.5K $415K January 20, 2022
February 22, 2022 (re-raise)
March 1, 2022 (second re-raise) Hueston Hennigan
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K $396.5K $415K January 20, 2022
February 23, 2022 (re-raise)
March 1, 2022 (second re-raise) Fried Frank
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K $396.5K $415K January 21, 2022
February 25, 2022 (re-raise)
March 8, 2022 (second re-raise) Steptoe
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K January 21, 2022 McKool Smith
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K January 21, 2022 Goodwin
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K $415K January 21, 2022
March 7, 2022 (re-raise) Irell
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $385K $396.5K $415K January 21, 2022
February 25, 2022 (re-raise)
March 3, 2022 (second re-raise) Loeb & Loeb
Tier 1: $205K
Tier 8: $340K January 21, 2022 Baker McKenzie
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K $396.5K $415K January 24, 2022
February 24, 2022 (re-raise)
March 3, 2022 (second re-raise) WilmerHale
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K January 24, 2022 Boies Schiller
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K $415K January 24, 2022
March 4, 2022 (re-raise) Duval & Stachenfeld
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K January 25, 2022 DLA Piper
Class of 2021 (Level 1): $215K
Class of 2014+ (Level 3): $385K January 25, 2022 Winston & Strawn
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K January 26, 2022
March 8, 2022 (re-raise) Dovel & Luner
1st Year: $225K
6th Year: $360K January 27, 2022 Elias Law Group
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K January 31, 2022 Axinn Veltrop
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K February 1, 2022 Norton Rose Fulbright
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $385K $396.5K February 4, 2022
February 28, 2022 (re-raise) Morgan Lewis
No Scale Announced Yet February 4, 2022 (firm is monitoring the market; will match prevailing scale effective April 2022, plus true-up “bonus” dating back to January 2022) Cooley
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $385K February 7, 2022 (firm is reportedly issuing Milbank match raises during associate reviews)
February 15, 2022 (firm officially matches Milbank) Groom Law Group
1st Year: $215K
Eighth Year: $385K February 9, 2022 Choate
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2013: $395K February 10, 2022 Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors
1st Years: $235K
All Other Class Years: commensurate raises February 15, 2022 Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $385K February 16, 2022 Gunderson Dettmer
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2013: $395K $425K February 16, 2022
March 9, 2022 (re-raise) Fenwick & West
T1/L1: $215K
T3: $370-385K+ $415K February 18, 2022
March 7, 2022 (re-raise) Wilson Sonsini
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2013: $395K February 18, 2022 Davis Polk
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K $415K NEW MARKET LEADER
February 22, 2022
March 3, 2022 (re-raise) Paul Weiss
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K $415K February 22, 2022
February 28, 2022 (re-raise) Cleary
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K $415K February 23, 2022
March 2, 2022 (re-raise) Kirkland & Ellis
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2016: $360.5K $370K February 23, 2022
March 1, 2022 (re-raise) Debevoise
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2013+: $406.5K $425K February 23, 2022
March 1, 2022 (re-raise) Ropes & Gray
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2013+: $406.5K $425K February 23, 2022
March 2, 2022 (re-raise) Dechert
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K $415K February 23, 2022
March 8, 2022 (re-raise) Simpson Thacher
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $396.5K $415K February 23, 2022
March 2, 2022 (re-raise) Willkie
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K February 23, 2022 Skadden
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K $415K February 23, 2022
March 2, 2022 (re-raise) Proskauer
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K February 23, 2022
March 7, 2022 (re-raise) O’Melveny
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $396.5K $415K February 23, 2022
March 3, 2022 (re-raise) Linklaters
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K $415K February 24, 2022
March 7, 2022 (re-raise) Schulte Roth & Zabel
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2013: $406.5K $425K February 24, 2022
March 9, 2022 (re-raise) Freshfields
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K $415K February 24, 2022
March 7, 2022 (re-raise) Sidley Austin
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $396.5K $415K February 24, 2022
March 2, 2022 (re-raise) Vinson & Elkins
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $396.5K $415K February 24, 2022
March 3, 2022 (re-raise) Selendy Gay Elsberg
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $396.5K February 24, 2022 Kramer Levin
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2013+: $406.5K $420K February 24, 2022
March 8, 2022 (re-raise) Clifford Chance
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K $415K February 25, 2022
March 8, 2022 (re-raise) Weil Gotshal
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $396.5K $415K February 25, 2022
March 7, 2022 (re-raise) Gibson Dunn
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $396.5K February 27, 2022 Paul Hastings
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K $415K February 28, 2022
March 3, 2022 (re-raise) Allen & Overy
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $396.5K February 28, 2022
March 8, 2022 (re-raise) Stroock
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K February 28, 2022 Akin Gump
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K $415K February 28, 2022
March 11, 2022 (re-raise) Jenner & Block
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2015: $381K February 28, 2022 Cravath
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $415K NEW MARKET LEADER
February 28, 2022 Quinn Emanuel
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $415K February 28, 2022 Latham
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2013+: $425K March 1, 2022 Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $396.5K March 2, 2022 Foley Hoag
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $415K March 3, 2022 Kaplan Hecker & Fink
Class of 2021: $220K
Class of 2014+: $425K
Mid-Year Bonuses
Class of 2021: $5K
Class of 2014+: $15K March 3, 2022 Tensegrity
Class of 2021: $220K
Class of 2013+: $425K March 3, 2022 White & Case
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $415K March 4, 2022 Shearman & Sterling
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $415K March 4, 2022 Covington & Burling
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $415K March 4, 2022 Orrick
Associate Year 1: $215K
Senior Associate Year 2+: $415K March 4, 2022 Cahill
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $415K March 4, 2022 Holwell Shuster & Goldberg
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $415K March 4, 2022 Mayer Brown
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $415K March 8, 2022 Sheppard Mullin
Associate 1: $215K
Counsel 2: $415K March 8, 2022 Kellogg Hansen
Year 1: $255K
Year 6+: $420K March 9, 2022 Katten Muchin
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2015+: $400K March 10, 2022 Hogan Lovells
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014+: $415K March 11, 2022 Desmarais LLP
Class of 2021: $215K
Class of 2014: $415K
Spring Bonuses
Class of 2021: $7.5K
Class of 2014: $20K March 11, 2022 googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Enable lazy loading. googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({ renderMarginPercent: 150, mobileScaling: 2 }); // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-middle-300x250" ); googletag.enableServices(); }); googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Enable lazy loading. googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({ renderMarginPercent: 150, mobileScaling: 2 }); // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-storycontent-440x100" ); googletag.enableServices(); }); googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Enable lazy loading. googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({ renderMarginPercent: 150, mobileScaling: 2 }); // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-in-story-youtube-1x1" ); googletag.enableServices(); });

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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2022 Associate Salary Increase, 2022 Raise Tracker, Associate Compensation, Associate Compensation Scorecard, Biglaw, Bonus News Alerts, Bonuses