Big Law

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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Kirkland’s Big Hiring Spree Nets Major Litigators

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Kirkland & Ellis just made a major power move in the mass torts space, snagging a heavyweight 13-partner team from King & Spalding that’s sure to shake up the litigation landscape.

The star of this lateral hire is Kristen Fournier, (pictured) who Kirkland is calling “among the most distinguished mass tort litigators practicing today” – and honestly, her track record backs up that claim.

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DLA Piper Add a Former PM To Their Firm . . Maybe

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David Cameron’s New Legal Gig Tom Borman, LawFuel contributor David Cameron is reportedly in discussions to join DLA Piper as a consultant, potentially advising the global law firm on geopolitical risk—a role that would come five years after the Greensill scandal, which cast a long shadow over his post-prime ministerial activities. Since leaving Downing Street

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Big Law, Big Drama And The Real Story Behind the Paul Weiss Partner Walkout

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If you ever thought the legal world was all about dusty tomes and somber faces, the latest exodus from Paul Weiss might make you think again as four of the firm’s top partners—Karen Dunn, Bill Isaacson, Jeannie Rhee, and Jessica Phillips—decide to pack their briefcases and set off to start their own law firm.

Earlier this year, Paul Weiss found itself in the political crosshairs after President Trump signed an executive order targeting the firm for its ties to lawyers who had previosly investigated Trump, as well as its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

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Cadwalader’s $100M Dilemma – Pro Bono or Pro Trouble?

Cadwalader law firm loses lawyers over Trump deal

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft—New York’s oldest law firm—has found itself in a modern-day ethical quagmire after agreeing to a $100 million pro bono deal with the Trump administration in a move that highlights the delicate balancing act between law and politics.

The pact, aimed at sidestepping punitive executive orders targeting firms that had previously crossed swords with the administration, has ignited internal dissent and a wave of attorney departures.

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Paul Hastings Expands Recently Announced International Energy & Infrastructure Team to Seven Partners With Two More Abu Dhabi Hires

Paul Hastings LLP announced today the continued expansion of its transformative international energy and infrastructure team and broader corporate platform with the appointment of mergers and acquisitions lawyer Stefan Mrozinski and projects lawyer Habeeb Rahman as partners in Abu Dhabi. Both join from White & Case LLP. The two new partners are the latest additions to the game-changing international

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AbovetheLaw Exposes Big Law’s Billion-Dollar Capitulation

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How Trump’s Pressure Campaign Sparked a Legal Industry Uprising Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor When President Trump unleashed a barrage of executive orders targeting America’s most powerful law firms, the legal world was thrown into turmoil. Nine of the nation’s largest firms, facing threats of revoked security clearances and canceled federal contracts, agreed to provide

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Freshfields Look at Salaried Partner Tier . . Again!

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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