Quinn Emanuel’s Special Associate Bonus
The Big Law bonus season has begun and litigation leader Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has introduced a special autumn bonus program for its associates, with bonus payments reaching as high as $32,900.
The firm is the first among major law firms to grant additional bonus payments to its associates, which are different from the standard bonus payments.
These extra bonuses are calculated based on both the seniority of associates and the number of billable hours they have contributed. Normally bonuses are announced in November.
Last year, these annual bonuses varied from $15,000 to $115,000 for their most senior associates.
The Quinn Emanuel announcement came via the firm’s global co-managing partner, William Burck, on a Monday morning. The special bonuses are in addition to the customary year-end bonuses, as emphasized by Burck.
It’s an encouraging sign for associates. The bonus ‘season’ has been quiet and while bonuses and salaries increased significantly during the pandemic, with increased workloads and hiring sprees, the market slowed in 2022, along with special bonus payments.
The special bonus amounts awarded to Quinn Emanuel associates vary, starting at $2,120 for associates from the class of 2023 who billed between 2,000 and 2,099 hours, and going up to $4,292 for those who billed more than 2,700 hours, according to the details outlined in Burck’s email.
The bonus range of $16,251 for the most senior associates billing between 2,000 and 2,099 hours and goes as high as $32,908 for those who billed more than 2,700 hours.
Burck expressed gratitude for the firm’s success during the year and credited it to the hard work, commitment, and sacrifices made by each member of the team.
