After a week in which the biggest story in Biglaw was a 95-year-old firm turning out the lights, we could all use something to smile about. And just in time for Halloween, DLA Piper is delivering. It’s all treats and no tricks for DLA associates!
The firm is matching market compensation and then some. That means the $235,000 Milbank salary scale for 2027 (though it is not retroactive to the summer salary bump at Milbank), market year-end bonuses, plus the special bonuses Milbank rolled out over the summer… and there’s enhanced bonuses for the associates who really put in the work.
Bonus eligibility hinges on the firm’s 2,000-hour minimum, and that’s where the extra candy comes in. For every 100 hours associates log above that threshold (and non-billable hours count toward the total), the firm will pay up to an extra 50% of the market bonus, and associates with strong performance reviews get yet another bonus on top of that.
Here’s the 2027 base salary scale:
| Firm 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 and senior | $455,000 |
Here are the year-end bonuses:
| Firm Class Year | Base Market Bonus |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $20,000 |
| 2024 | $30,000 |
| 2023 | $57,500 |
| 2022 | $75,000 |
| 2021 | $90,000 |
| 2020 | $105,000 |
| 2019 and senior | $115,000 |
And here are the special bonuses:
| Firm Class Year | Special Bonus |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,000 |
| 2024 | $10,000 |
| 2023 | $15,000 |
| 2022 | $20,000 |
| 2021 and senior | $25,000 |
As for timing, associates who hit their hours by November 30 will see their year-end and special bonuses on December 24, a Christmas Eve present, if you will. Any enhanced bonus gets paid on February 5. Associates who don’t hit the hours target by November 30 but get there by December 31 will receive their bonuses on February 5.
Bonuses on top of bonuses on top of bonuses is something of a DLA tradition at this point, the firm did the same thing last year, rewarding its biggest billers with enhanced payouts above market. But this year it lands a little differently. Just days after a Weil practice head told his associates to look for work elsewhere, one of the biggest firms in the world is reminding everyone that the money in Biglaw is still very much flowing. Now the question is which firm will join the party next.
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 DLA Piper Matches Milbank, Then Piles On Even More Bonus Cash! appeared first on Above the Law.
After a week in which the biggest story in Biglaw was a 95-year-old firm turning out the lights, we could all use something to smile about. And just in time for Halloween, DLA Piper is delivering. It’s all treats and no tricks for DLA associates!
The firm is matching market compensation and then some. That means the $235,000 Milbank salary scale for 2027 (though it is not retroactive to the summer salary bump at Milbank), market year-end bonuses, plus the special bonuses Milbank rolled out over the summer… and there’s enhanced bonuses for the associates who really put in the work.
Bonus eligibility hinges on the firm’s 2,000-hour minimum, and that’s where the extra candy comes in. For every 100 hours associates log above that threshold (and non-billable hours count toward the total), the firm will pay up to an extra 50% of the market bonus, and associates with strong performance reviews get yet another bonus on top of that.
Here’s the 2027 base salary scale:
| Firm 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 and senior | $455,000 |
Here are the year-end bonuses:
| Firm Class Year | Base Market Bonus |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $20,000 |
| 2024 | $30,000 |
| 2023 | $57,500 |
| 2022 | $75,000 |
| 2021 | $90,000 |
| 2020 | $105,000 |
| 2019 and senior | $115,000 |
And here are the special bonuses:
| Firm Class Year | Special Bonus |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,000 |
| 2024 | $10,000 |
| 2023 | $15,000 |
| 2022 | $20,000 |
| 2021 and senior | $25,000 |
As for timing, associates who hit their hours by November 30 will see their year-end and special bonuses on December 24, a Christmas Eve present, if you will. Any enhanced bonus gets paid on February 5. Associates who don’t hit the hours target by November 30 but get there by December 31 will receive their bonuses on February 5.
Bonuses on top of bonuses on top of bonuses is something of a DLA tradition at this point, the firm did the same thing last year, rewarding its biggest billers with enhanced payouts above market. But this year it lands a little differently. Just days after a Weil practice head told his associates to look for work elsewhere, one of the biggest firms in the world is reminding everyone that the money in Biglaw is still very much flowing. Now the question is which firm will join the party next.
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
