Lawyer Pay

Boutique law firm will pay bigger-than-BigLaw bonuses; what will Cravath do?

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100 dollars money pile

Boutique law firm Wilkinson Stekloff in Washington, D.C., is surpassing the bonus scale announced by Milbank on Nov. 7. Image from Shutterstock.

Boutique law firm Wilkinson Stekloff in Washington, D.C., is surpassing the bonus scale announced by Milbank on Nov. 7.

Milbank is paying bonuses that range from $15,000 for the class of 2023 to $115,000 for the class of 2016. They match the bonuses paid last year. The firm is also giving annual raises of $10,000 to associates.

No other BigLaw firms had announced a Milbank match as of Tuesday morning. Above the Law suggests that major firms are awaiting a move by Cravath, Swaine & Moore, which is often the first to announce.

Wilkinson Stekloff, however, is increasing its bonuses to 175% of the traditional Milbank bonuses, report Above the Law, Law360, Bloomberg Law, Law.com and Reuters.

Here is the Wilkinson Stekloff 2023 bonus scale:

Class of 2023: $26,250

Class of 2022: $35,000

Class of 2021: $52,500

Class of 2020: $100,625

Class of 2019: $131,250

Class of 2018: $157,500

Class of 2017: $183,750

Class of 2016+: $201,250

Name partner Brian L. Stekloff told Bloomberg Law that Wilkinson Stekloff pays associate salaries at the BigLaw rate.

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