Big Law Salary Scale

Big pay cheques, flashy AI demos, bold merger promises — these are all the usual theatrics in law firm press releases. But beneath the PR sheen, cracks are widening: not every firm can sustain both rising compensation and heavy AI spending without wobbling.

Some are already looking shaky.

If you thought the Great Legal Pay Spike was last year, think again. At present Duane Morris is under fire in a partner-pay class-action suit, amid allegations of misclassifying non-equity partners to dodge taxes and benefits—even as women and minority partners allegedly earned less. That in itself sent ripples through partner compensation practices nationwide.

But perhaps more gripping: the Financial Times reports top corporate partners billing over $2,500/hour and annual earnings soaring above $25 million.

The Revolution in Pinstripes of Pallas Partners Tom Borman, LawFuel contributing editor In the cutthroat world of high-stakes litigation, a new player has emerged in recent years rewriting the rules and setting the legal world on edge as Pallas Partners, the brainchild of powerhouse litigator Natasha Harrison, saw her dare to dream beyond the confines