It’s a match, and bonuses too!
Last year, Goodwin broke from its usual January timing and announced bonuses in mid-December. This year, the firm isn’t even waiting for Thanksgiving. On Tuesday, the Top 20 Am Law firm told associates it is raising US base salaries to the Milbank scale and paying both class-year and special bonuses.
Now the catch: the new salaries take effect January 1, 2027. Milbank kicked off this round of raises back in June, so Goodwin associates are joining the party about six months late. Goodwin isn’t the first to try this: Ice Miller matched while keeping its raises on ice until 2027 too. Still, the numbers are the numbers, and these are the right ones.
Here’s the new scale:
Class Year | Base Salary
2026 | $235,000
2025 | $245,000
2024 | $270,000
2023 | $320,000
2022 | $385,000
2021 | $410,000
2020 | $440,000
2019+ | $455,000
On bonuses, Goodwin is paying the familiar grid. That’s $20,000 to $115,000 in class-year bonuses, plus special bonuses of $6,000 to $25,000 on the scale Milbank set this summer. The most senior associates can take home up to $140,000 total. To qualify, associates need 1,950 ARC hours for the fiscal year that ended September 30 and must meet the firm’s Attorney Development Frameworks. Goodwin has always been upfront that not every associate takes home a bonus, and this year’s memo keeps that tradition.
There is BETTER news for the workhorses, though. Associates who billed “significantly more” than 1,950 hours, and fourth-years and up with a “Distinctive” rating, will get more than the class amount. Less good news for the newest arrivals: because the fiscal year closed September 30, anyone hired after August 31 gets nothing, not even a prorated amount.
Class Year | Bonus | Special Bonus
2025 | $20,000 | $6,000
2024 | $30,000 | $10,000
2023 | $57,500 | $15,000
2022 | $75,000 | $20,000
2021 | $90,000 | $25,000
2020 | $105,000 | $25,000
2019+ | $115,000 | $25,000
Associates will learn their individual numbers in January, before the payroll that includes the raises and bonuses.
The Milbank scale has spent the summer and fall picking up matches one firm at a time. It will be VERY interesting to see whether the January 1 effective date becomes the new industry move: match Milbank on paper, without paying the raise in 2026.
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.
And if you’d like to sign up for ATL’s Bonus Alerts (which is the alert list we also use for salary announcements), please scroll down and enter your email address in the box below this post. If you previously signed up for the bonus alerts, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive an email notification within minutes of each bonus announcement that we publish. Thanks for all of your help!
(Full memo on the next page.)
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 or Bluesky @Kathryn1
The post Goodwin Associates Can Take Home Up To $140K In Bonuses, Plus A Raise In 2027 appeared first on Above the Law.
It’s a match, and bonuses too!
Last year, Goodwin broke from its usual January timing and announced bonuses in mid-December. This year, the firm isn’t even waiting for Thanksgiving. On Tuesday, the Top 20 Am Law firm told associates it is raising US base salaries to the Milbank scale and paying both class-year and special bonuses.
Now the catch: the new salaries take effect January 1, 2027. Milbank kicked off this round of raises back in June, so Goodwin associates are joining the party about six months late. Goodwin isn’t the first to try this: Ice Miller matched while keeping its raises on ice until 2027 too. Still, the numbers are the numbers, and these are the right ones.
Here’s the new scale:
Class Year | Base Salary
2026 | $235,000
2025 | $245,000
2024 | $270,000
2023 | $320,000
2022 | $385,000
2021 | $410,000
2020 | $440,000
2019+ | $455,000
On bonuses, Goodwin is paying the familiar grid. That’s $20,000 to $115,000 in class-year bonuses, plus special bonuses of $6,000 to $25,000 on the scale Milbank set this summer. The most senior associates can take home up to $140,000 total. To qualify, associates need 1,950 ARC hours for the fiscal year that ended September 30 and must meet the firm’s Attorney Development Frameworks. Goodwin has always been upfront that not every associate takes home a bonus, and this year’s memo keeps that tradition.
There is BETTER news for the workhorses, though. Associates who billed “significantly more” than 1,950 hours, and fourth-years and up with a “Distinctive” rating, will get more than the class amount. Less good news for the newest arrivals: because the fiscal year closed September 30, anyone hired after August 31 gets nothing, not even a prorated amount.
Class Year | Bonus | Special Bonus
2025 | $20,000 | $6,000
2024 | $30,000 | $10,000
2023 | $57,500 | $15,000
2022 | $75,000 | $20,000
2021 | $90,000 | $25,000
2020 | $105,000 | $25,000
2019+ | $115,000 | $25,000
Associates will learn their individual numbers in January, before the payroll that includes the raises and bonuses.
The Milbank scale has spent the summer and fall picking up matches one firm at a time. It will be VERY interesting to see whether the January 1 effective date becomes the new industry move: match Milbank on paper, without paying the raise in 2026.
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.
And if you’d like to sign up for ATL’s Bonus Alerts (which is the alert list we also use for salary announcements), please scroll down and enter your email address in the box below this post. If you previously signed up for the bonus alerts, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive an email notification within minutes of each bonus announcement that we publish. Thanks for all of your help!
(Full memo on the next page.)
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 or Bluesky @Kathryn1
