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Hot Summer Bonuses At BigLaw Conceal A Secret

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Following months of market uncertainty, the summer bonus season at BigLaw has exceeded expectations with Milbank’s announcing special bonuses ranging from $6,000 to $25,000 for associates, a cascade of firms has followed suit. But a new trend is also emerging in the way compensation is being handed to associates.

While partners enjoy increased PEP rates with premium work, the competitive world of associate recruitment is seeing some major changes in the way law firms handle the compensation for their top performers at associate level.

The summer bonus season is seeing that trend play out.

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Boutique Bonus Season: The Summer Bonus Payments Arriving

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Boutique Firm Vartabedian Hester & Haynes Blazes Bonus Trail With Generous Summer Payouts While Biglaw firms continue their summer tradition of radio silence on bonuses, one ambitious boutique isn’t waiting around. Texas-based Vartabedian Hester & Haynes, a rising litigation boutique specializing in complex commercial disputes, has just announced a firm-wide bonus that’s turning heads. All

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How UK Lawyer Pay Rates Are Reshaping the Legal Job Market

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The battle for top legal talent in the UK is really heating up, and firms are putting their money where their mouth is—especially when it comes to newly qualified (NQ) lawyers.

CMS, DLA Piper, and Ashurst have all just bumped up their NQ salaries.

CMS has raised its London NQ salary to £120k, up from £110k, which means they’re now on par with Simmons & Simmons and Travers Smith. And it’s not just London: their NQs in Bristol are now getting £76,500 (up from £70k), while those in Manchester, Sheffield, and Liverpool are up to £68k (from £62k), and in Scotland it’s £68k too (from £60k). That’s a pretty sweet bump across the board!

DLA Piper NQs are now looking at £130k, which is a hefty 18 percent year-on-year increase with increases at a lower level in the NQs in the other UK offices.

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The Ultimate BigLaw Salary Scale Guide 2025: From Cravath Benchmarks to Million-Dollar Partners

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The legal profession has always been synonymous with prestige and substantial compensation, but nowhere is this more evident than in BigLaw. And during 2025 the salary scales at major law firms have reached unprecedented heights, with first-year associates commanding six-figure salaries that rival senior executives in other industries.

Understanding the BigLaw salary situation isn’t just about numbers—it’s about comprehending a complex ecosystem that shapes legal careers and drives the ambitions of law students nationwide.

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Freshfields Look at Salaried Partner Tier . . Again!

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Freshfields

Big Law Pay News Sees Freshfields’ Fresh Look Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, one of the UK’s Magic Circle heavyweights, is thinking about bringing back a salaried partner tier, placing some partners on a fixed, hefty salary instead of a share of the firm’s profits. It’s a big deal, especially since Freshfields had moved away from this

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The Ultimate BigLaw Salary Guide (2025): Who Pays What, When, and Why It Matters

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BigLaw Salaries: What You Need to Know in 2025 Norma Harris, Lawfuel contributing writer BigLaw salaries aren’t just numbers, they’re a roadmap to power, prestige, and burnout. If you’re a junior associate eyeing the money trail or a law student wondering if that six-figure debt is worth it, this is the guide you need. As

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The Great Bonus Divide And How Top Firms Are Splitting on Special Payments

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Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor While most big law firms are handing out both regular year-end bonuses and special bonuses this year, a couple of major players – Hogan Lovells and Perkins Coie – decided to skip the special bonus part – until now. The regular year-end bonuses range from $20,000 to $115,000 depending on

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Million-Dollar Bonuses And How Big Law Is Changing Tactics In The Face Of Big Paying Boutiques

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Ben Thomson, Senior LawFuel editor In a twist that’s got the legal world buzzing, BigLaw’s bonus season is serving up some serious drama but the twist in the bonus tale is the boutique law firms that are flashing cash like it’s going out of style, while a few heavyweight players are giving the cold shoulder

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Milbank Announces Generous Year-End Bonuses for Associates

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US law firm Milbank is ringing in the holiday season early with the announcement of substantial year-end bonuses for its associates. The firm is known as a generous bonus payer, as we have reported recently. Milbank said this week that lawyers can expect to receive bonuses ranging from $15,000 to $115,000, based on their level

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