If the 2021 bonus season has seemed a little slow, well, there was good reason. Yes, Cravath announced some pretty generous bonuses, but some firms <<cough Davis Polk, cough cough>> have a penchant for coming over the top of announced bonus (and raise) scales, sending the Biglaw market into a tizzy. So, waiting until Davis Polk & Wardwell makes their bonus announcement seems, well, prudent — and Biglaw is nothing if not prudent.
Well, the excuses are over because DPW has made their move. And, of course, it’s over the top of the Cravath scale.
To be clear, the year-end bonus amount matches the Cravath scale, a hefty ~15 percent over last year’s bonus numbers for most classes. But what sets DPW apart (at least until the matches start rolling in) is the additional round of special bonuses for class of 2020 and higher ranging from $4,000 to $23,000.
Nicely played, DPW.
The full memo is available 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).
