{"id":114854,"date":"2025-04-14T15:55:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T23:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/04\/14\/elite-boutique-law-firm-announces-special-bonuses-up-to-60000\/"},"modified":"2025-04-14T15:55:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T23:55:10","slug":"elite-boutique-law-firm-announces-special-bonuses-up-to-60000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/04\/14\/elite-boutique-law-firm-announces-special-bonuses-up-to-60000\/","title":{"rendered":"Elite Boutique Law Firm Announces\u00a0Special Bonuses Up To $60,000"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

D.C.-based litigation boutique Wilkinson Stekloff announced on Friday that associates are getting special bonuses! And not some delightful, but relatively small, special bonus of $5K \u2014 these babies *start* at $25,000 and top out at $60,000 for the most senior associates. But maybe these aren\u2019t much of a shock \u2014 the firm has proven in the past it has what it takes to beat<\/a> Biglaw compensation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The message from founding partner Brian Stekloff (available in full below) thanks associates for their hard work so far this year, and includes this line, \u201cWe are also grateful that many of us are working on essential matters to fight government overreach and defend the rule of law.\u201d Which we simple must read as shady AF towards the Biglaw firms that have bent a knee<\/a> to the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

The special bonus scale at the firm is as follows:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Class Year<\/td>\nBonus ($)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024<\/td>\n25,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023<\/td>\n30,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\n35,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2021<\/td>\n40,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020<\/td>\n45,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019<\/td>\n50,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018<\/td>\n55,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2017<\/td>\n60,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

Bonuses will be paid on June 1, and counsel bonuses will be individualized.<\/p>\n

This is normally the time that Above the Law would wonder if Biglaw firms will step up to match the boutique. But\u2026 Biglaw leaders seem pretty occupied<\/a> at the moment. My guess (though I\u2019d love to be wrong) is Biglaw will ignore this compensation move.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0email us<\/a>\u00a0(subject line: \u201c[Firm Name] Matches\u201d). Please include the memo if available. You can take a photo of the memo and send it via text or email if you don\u2019t want to forward the original PDF or Word file.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019d like to sign up for ATL\u2019s 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\u2019t need to do anything. You\u2019ll receive an email notification within minutes of each bonus announcement that we publish. Thanks for all of your help!<\/p>\n

Read the full announcement:<\/em><\/p>\n

From:<\/strong>\u00a0Brian Stekloff
Sent:<\/strong>\u00a0Friday, April 11, 2025 1:40 PM
To:<\/strong>\u00a0#Everyone
Subject:<\/strong>\u00a0Special Bonus Announcement<\/p>\n

Dear all,<\/p>\n

As Beth and I have said to all of you, when we started the firm, we wanted to build something that embodied a culture of camaraderie and teamwork.\u00a0 Over the past few months, we have demonstrated that culture in unprecedented ways. \u00a0\u00a0Through it all, we have maintained the highest level of work and have continued to provide our clients with the first-class representations they both demand and deserve.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As you all know, this has been and continues to be a particularly busy stretch in which we are preparing for multiple upcoming trials that will take place over the summer and early fall\u2014with even more scheduled to follow.\u00a0 We are also grateful that many of us are working on essential matters to fight government overreach and defend the rule of law.\u00a0 Simply put, we are incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication that each of you has demonstrated to start 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In recognition of the excellence being demonstrated by each of you, we are announcing special bonuses\u2014separate and apart from end-of-year bonuses\u2014that will be paid on June 1, 2025.\u00a0 For non-attorneys, the bonus will be $7500.\u00a0 For associates, the bonuses will be as follows:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Class Year<\/td>\nBonus ($)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024<\/td>\n25,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023<\/td>\n30,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\n35,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2021<\/td>\n40,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020<\/td>\n45,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019<\/td>\n50,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018<\/td>\n55,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2017<\/td>\n60,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

Counsel bonuses will be announced individually.<\/p>\n

We want to thank you again for all that you have done this year and will continue to do as we head into this stretch of trials.\u00a0 It\u2019s been overwhelming to see everyone come together to support one another during this busy time.\u00a0 We look forward to many continued successes and celebrations in our matters and are proud to have such wonderful and committed colleagues.<\/p>\n

Best, The Partners<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
Brian\u00a0Stekloff<\/strong>\u00a0|\u00a0Founding\u00a0PartnerWILKINSON\u00a0STEKLOFF\u00a0LLP<\/strong>2001\u00a0M\u00a0Street\u00a0NW,\u00a010th\u00a0Flr,\u00a0Washington,\u00a0DC\u00a020036<\/a>Direct:\u00a0(202)\u00a0847-4030<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Fax:\u00a0(202)\u00a0847-4005<\/a>bstekloff@wilkinsonstekloff.com<\/a>wilkinsonstekloff.com<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

The post Elite Boutique Law Firm Announces\u00a0Special Bonuses Up To $60,000<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

D.C.-based litigation boutique Wilkinson Stekloff announced on Friday that associates are getting special bonuses! And not some delightful, but relatively small, special bonus of $5K \u2014 these babies *start* at $25,000 and top out at $60,000 for the most senior associates. But maybe these aren\u2019t much of a shock \u2014 the firm has proven in the past it has what it takes to beat<\/a> Biglaw compensation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The message from founding partner Brian Stekloff (available in full below) thanks associates for their hard work so far this year, and includes this line, \u201cWe are also grateful that many of us are working on essential matters to fight government overreach and defend the rule of law.\u201d Which we simple must read as shady AF towards the Biglaw firms that have bent a knee<\/a> to the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

The special bonus scale at the firm is as follows:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Class Year<\/td>\nBonus ($)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024<\/td>\n25,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023<\/td>\n30,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\n35,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2021<\/td>\n40,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020<\/td>\n45,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019<\/td>\n50,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018<\/td>\n55,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2017<\/td>\n60,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

Bonuses will be paid on June 1, and counsel bonuses will be individualized.<\/p>\n

This is normally the time that Above the Law would wonder if Biglaw firms will step up to match the boutique. But\u2026 Biglaw leaders seem pretty occupied<\/a> at the moment. My guess (though I\u2019d love to be wrong) is Biglaw will ignore this compensation move.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0email us<\/a>\u00a0(subject line: \u201c[Firm Name] Matches\u201d). Please include the memo if available. You can take a photo of the memo and send it via text or email if you don\u2019t want to forward the original PDF or Word file.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019d like to sign up for ATL\u2019s 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\u2019t need to do anything. You\u2019ll receive an email notification within minutes of each bonus announcement that we publish. Thanks for all of your help!<\/p>\n

Read the full announcement:<\/em><\/p>\n

From:<\/strong>\u00a0Brian Stekloff
Sent:<\/strong>\u00a0Friday, April 11, 2025 1:40 PM
To:<\/strong>\u00a0#Everyone
Subject:<\/strong>\u00a0Special Bonus Announcement<\/p>\n

Dear all,<\/p>\n

As Beth and I have said to all of you, when we started the firm, we wanted to build something that embodied a culture of camaraderie and teamwork.\u00a0 Over the past few months, we have demonstrated that culture in unprecedented ways. \u00a0\u00a0Through it all, we have maintained the highest level of work and have continued to provide our clients with the first-class representations they both demand and deserve.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As you all know, this has been and continues to be a particularly busy stretch in which we are preparing for multiple upcoming trials that will take place over the summer and early fall\u2014with even more scheduled to follow.\u00a0 We are also grateful that many of us are working on essential matters to fight government overreach and defend the rule of law.\u00a0 Simply put, we are incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication that each of you has demonstrated to start 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In recognition of the excellence being demonstrated by each of you, we are announcing special bonuses\u2014separate and apart from end-of-year bonuses\u2014that will be paid on June 1, 2025.\u00a0 For non-attorneys, the bonus will be $7500.\u00a0 For associates, the bonuses will be as follows:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Class Year<\/td>\nBonus ($)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024<\/td>\n25,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023<\/td>\n30,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\n35,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2021<\/td>\n40,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2020<\/td>\n45,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019<\/td>\n50,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018<\/td>\n55,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2017<\/td>\n60,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

Counsel bonuses will be announced individually.<\/p>\n

We want to thank you again for all that you have done this year and will continue to do as we head into this stretch of trials.\u00a0 It\u2019s been overwhelming to see everyone come together to support one another during this busy time.\u00a0 We look forward to many continued successes and celebrations in our matters and are proud to have such wonderful and committed colleagues.<\/p>\n

Best, The Partners<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
Brian\u00a0Stekloff<\/strong>\u00a0|\u00a0Founding\u00a0PartnerWILKINSON\u00a0STEKLOFF\u00a0LLP<\/strong>2001\u00a0M\u00a0Street\u00a0NW,\u00a010th\u00a0Flr,\u00a0Washington,\u00a0DC\u00a020036<\/a>Direct:\u00a0(202)\u00a0847-4030<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Fax:\u00a0(202)\u00a0847-4005<\/a>[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>wilkinsonstekloff.com<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

D.C.-based litigation boutique Wilkinson Stekloff announced on Friday that associates are getting special bonuses! And not some delightful, but relatively small, special bonus of $5K \u2014 these babies *start* at $25,000 and top out at $60,000 for the most senior associates. But maybe these aren\u2019t much of a shock \u2014 the firm has proven in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":114855,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/money-stack-bonus-chart-2022-GettyImages-1008861200-620x435-mJRLwb.jpeg?fit=620%2C435&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114854\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}