‘The Damage Has Already Been Done’: Top Firms May Struggle To Recover From Special Bonus Snubs

Biglaw associates may forgive, but they’ll never, ever forget.
The post ‘The Damage Has Already Been Done’: Top Firms May Struggle To Recover From Special Bonus Snubs appeared first on Above the Law.

Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day.

When you consider the amount of money saved versus the amount of bad press you get and the general low morale of the workforce that you depend on, it becomes a very difficult situation. And I’m not surprised each time this happens that firms then go back and reconsider, and then come back and present the matching bonus.

The problem is the damage has already been done, and maybe associates have a short memory span, maybe they don’t, but it’s always hard to be the firm that doesn’t match and get singled out, and the market can be a very cruel place.

— Jeffrey Lowe, a Washington, D.C.-based recruiter with CenterPeak, in comments given to the American Lawyer, on the change of heart that took place among leaders at Perkins Coie and Hogan Lovells with respect to special bonuses. Both firms originally declined to offer associates special bonuses, but finally caved after facing backlash.

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.