One firm says one in five associates will get paid at least US$500,000 this year
Two boutique firms in the US known for their work on high-stakes litigation have again smashed the bonus scale set by their much larger counterparts.
Both Susman Godfrey and Washington, DC’s Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz are both giving associates much higher bonuses this year than BigLaw firms. This is not the first time the two firms have topped bigger firms in year-end bonuses.
The current scale at the largest law firms in the US this year was set by Milbank in early November. The bonuses are as follows:
While not as large as Susman Godfrey’s bonuses, the Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz scale is nothing to scoff at. The Washington, DC-based firm’s bonuses are still 50% more than the going market rate at:
The Susman Godfrey associate bonuses blow even those larger bonuses out of the water. This year, the Houston-based boutique is giving out:
It said that more than 20% of its associates will have total compensation of at least US$500,000 for 2019.
Susman Godfrey does not have associates who graduated 2018 and 2019 as the firm requires each new associate to successfully complete a clerkship in the federal courts level. Many of the associates complete two clerkships, including some with the US Supreme Court.
