As 2021 rolls to a close, it is nice to do some reflection on how the year — the second of the COVID pandemic — treated you. For Biglaw firms, the answer to how was 2021 seems to be an enthusiastic “awesome,” at least as it pertains to finances. Biglaw had a banger 2021 as far as money goes, and firms are sharing that good fortune with the associates who got them there.
West Coast mainstay Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati have announced their annual bonuses. The firm, which had $1,130,000,000 in gross revenue last year, making it 36th on the Am Law 100, will be matching the market rate for year-end and special bonuses popularized a few weeks ago. That is, if the associates bill enough.
Associates who hit the firm’s 1,950-hour billing requirement will be eligible for bonuses according to the following scale:
| Associate Level | Comp Year | Year-End Bonus | Special Bonus |
| 1st Year | 2020 | $20,000 | $4,000 |
| 2nd Year | 2019 | $30,000 | $6,000 |
| 3rd Year | 2018 | $57,500 | $11,500 |
| 4th Year | 2017 | $75,000 | $15,000 |
| 5th Year | 2016 | $90,000 | $18,000 |
| 6th Year | 2015 | $105,000 | $21,000 |
| 7th Year+ | 2014- | $115,000 | $23,000 |
You can read the full memo on the next page.
Remember everyone, we depend on your tips to stay on top of important bonus updates, so when your firm matches, please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Matches”). Please include the memo if available. You can take a photo of the memo and send it via text or email if you don’t want to forward the original PDF or Word file.
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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).
