- \n
- This year, more than 88% of BSF associates received a bonus that was at least as high as, and in most cases higher than, what that associate would have received under the market system.\u00a0 Those that did not, generally invested material time on one or more contingency cases that have not yet paid out.<\/li>\n
- Numerous associates, including some very junior ones, received bonuses far in excess of the very top of the market\u2014and that includes the \u201csuper bonuses\u201d that some other firms have announced.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- In total, nearly 20% of all associates received bonuses at or above the very-top-of-the-market scale\u2014meaning that they got bonuses equal or greater to what an 8th year associate would have gotten on the market scale.\u00a0 But at BSF, many of the associates who received those above-the-top-of-the-market bonuses were far more junior including, for example, associates from the classes of 2023 and 2024 who received bonuses in excess of $200,000 or even $300,000.<\/li>\n
- The top associate bonuses this year were more than 8 times what those associates would have earned under the market system.<\/li>\n
- The total Formula Compensation bonus pool for all associates who were with the Firm for the entire compensation year was 197% of what that bonus pool would have been on the \u201cmarket system.\u201d<\/li>\n
- That\u2019s right:\u00a0 In total, the Firm paid out nearly twice as much in associate bonuses as it would have on market. \u00a0As usual, we are happy to do it, because you earned it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Bonuses will be paid to associates this week.<\/p>\n
Remember everyone, we depend on your tips to stay on top of this stuff. 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\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n
Read the full memo below.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n
It has been an incredibly busy 2025 for Boies Schiller Flexner and our clients, filled as usual with trials, hearings, and appellate arguments. We secured big wins for plaintiffs and defendants alike, and for individuals, corporations, and classes. The work of our associates was critical to that success, as it is every year, given the responsibilities you handle in and out of the courtroom.\u00a0 On behalf of BSF, we thank you and your loved ones for your important contributions.<\/p>\n
While we do this job for many reasons beyond money, the Firm\u2019s unique Formula Compensation system ensures that all of our lawyers\u2014associates, counsel, and partners alike\u2014share in the Firm\u2019s success and have a personal stake in their work.\u00a0 Because Formula Compensation calculations are unique to each individual, bonuses necessarily vary depending on hours, the nature of the work, any premium recoveries, business generation credits, and other considerations.\u00a0 But as usual, across the Firm, Formula Compensation results in compensation that compares favorably to the market:<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
- \n
- The prevailing market bonus scale at other firms ranges from $21,000 (for class of 2025, prorated) to $140,000 (for class of 2018 and above).\u00a0 These figures include the \u201cspecial bonuses\u201d that many firms are awarding.<\/li>\n
- This year, more than 88% of BSF associates received a bonus that was at least as high as, and in most cases higher than, what that associate would have received under the market system.\u00a0 Those that did not, generally invested material time on one or more contingency cases that have not yet paid out.<\/li>\n
- Numerous associates, including some very junior ones, received bonuses far in excess of the very top of the market\u2014and that includes the \u201csuper bonuses\u201d that some other firms have announced.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- In total, nearly 20% of all associates received bonuses at or above the very-top-of-the-market scale\u2014meaning that they got bonuses equal or greater to what an 8th year associate would have gotten on the market scale.\u00a0 But at BSF, many of the associates who received those above-the-top-of-the-market bonuses were far more junior including, for example, associates from the classes of 2023 and 2024 who received bonuses in excess of $200,000 or even $300,000.<\/li>\n
- The top associate bonuses this year were more than 8 times what those associates would have earned under the market system.<\/li>\n
- The total Formula Compensation bonus pool for all associates who were with the Firm for the entire compensation year was 197% of what that bonus pool would have been on the \u201cmarket system.\u201d<\/li>\n
- That\u2019s right:\u00a0 In total, the Firm paid out nearly twice as much in associate bonuses as it would have on market. \u00a0As usual, we are happy to do it, because you earned it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n
Bonus payments will be distributed this week to all associates in good standing, and the Finance Department will follow with details regarding all attorneys\u2019 Formula Compensation calculations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On behalf of the partners, we thank you all for your commitment to the Firm and our clients.\u00a0 Our collective growth and success depends on your good work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We look forward to seeing most of you and your families in Florida at our annual Firm retreat later this week.<\/p>\n
The Managing Partners<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/IMG_5243-1-scaled-e1623338814705-620x568.jpg?resize=174%2C160&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast<\/a>, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer<\/a>. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her<\/a> with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1<\/a>\u00a0or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nThe post $300,000 Bonuses For Junior Associates? Bonuses 8x The Market Rate? This Biglaw Firm\u2019s Spin On Bonuses Brings In A LOT Of Cash<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Bonus time is exciting in Biglaw, in that there\u2019s a lot of money headed to associates\u2019 bank accounts. But it *can* be a little boring in that after the market rate (this year a combination of year-end and special bonuses) is set, most of Biglaw merely follows suit.<\/p>\n
But not Boies Schiller. <\/p>\n
The firm, which took in \u00a0$387,400,000 gross revenue last year making it 118th on the Am Law 200, has its own idiosyncratic method for paying bonuses. They\u2019re individualized at the firm, so there\u2019s not a handy schedule of bonus rates to share with the world. But in Boies Schiller\u2019s firmwide announcement, they do point out some pretty impressive highlights. The TL;DR version is that a lot of associates at BSF are taking hone more money than their peers at other Biglaw firms.<\/p>\n
\n
- \n
- This year, more than 88% of BSF associates received a bonus that was at least as high as, and in most cases higher than, what that associate would have received under the market system.\u00a0 Those that did not, generally invested material time on one or more contingency cases that have not yet paid out.<\/li>\n
- Numerous associates, including some very junior ones, received bonuses far in excess of the very top of the market\u2014and that includes the \u201csuper bonuses\u201d that some other firms have announced.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- In total, nearly 20% of all associates received bonuses at or above the very-top-of-the-market scale\u2014meaning that they got bonuses equal or greater to what an 8th year associate would have gotten on the market scale.\u00a0 But at BSF, many of the associates who received those above-the-top-of-the-market bonuses were far more junior including, for example, associates from the classes of 2023 and 2024 who received bonuses in excess of $200,000 or even $300,000.<\/li>\n
- The top associate bonuses this year were more than 8 times what those associates would have earned under the market system.<\/li>\n
- The total Formula Compensation bonus pool for all associates who were with the Firm for the entire compensation year was 197% of what that bonus pool would have been on the \u201cmarket system.\u201d<\/li>\n
- That\u2019s right:\u00a0 In total, the Firm paid out nearly twice as much in associate bonuses as it would have on market. \u00a0As usual, we are happy to do it, because you earned it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Bonuses will be paid to associates this week.<\/p>\n
Remember everyone, we depend on your tips to stay on top of this stuff. 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\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n
Read the full memo below.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n
It has been an incredibly busy 2025 for Boies Schiller Flexner and our clients, filled as usual with trials, hearings, and appellate arguments. We secured big wins for plaintiffs and defendants alike, and for individuals, corporations, and classes. The work of our associates was critical to that success, as it is every year, given the responsibilities you handle in and out of the courtroom.\u00a0 On behalf of BSF, we thank you and your loved ones for your important contributions.<\/p>\n
While we do this job for many reasons beyond money, the Firm\u2019s unique Formula Compensation system ensures that all of our lawyers\u2014associates, counsel, and partners alike\u2014share in the Firm\u2019s success and have a personal stake in their work.\u00a0 Because Formula Compensation calculations are unique to each individual, bonuses necessarily vary depending on hours, the nature of the work, any premium recoveries, business generation credits, and other considerations.\u00a0 But as usual, across the Firm, Formula Compensation results in compensation that compares favorably to the market:<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
- \n
- The prevailing market bonus scale at other firms ranges from $21,000 (for class of 2025, prorated) to $140,000 (for class of 2018 and above).\u00a0 These figures include the \u201cspecial bonuses\u201d that many firms are awarding.<\/li>\n
- This year, more than 88% of BSF associates received a bonus that was at least as high as, and in most cases higher than, what that associate would have received under the market system.\u00a0 Those that did not, generally invested material time on one or more contingency cases that have not yet paid out.<\/li>\n
- Numerous associates, including some very junior ones, received bonuses far in excess of the very top of the market\u2014and that includes the \u201csuper bonuses\u201d that some other firms have announced.\u00a0<\/li>\n
- In total, nearly 20% of all associates received bonuses at or above the very-top-of-the-market scale\u2014meaning that they got bonuses equal or greater to what an 8th year associate would have gotten on the market scale.\u00a0 But at BSF, many of the associates who received those above-the-top-of-the-market bonuses were far more junior including, for example, associates from the classes of 2023 and 2024 who received bonuses in excess of $200,000 or even $300,000.<\/li>\n
- The top associate bonuses this year were more than 8 times what those associates would have earned under the market system.<\/li>\n
- The total Formula Compensation bonus pool for all associates who were with the Firm for the entire compensation year was 197% of what that bonus pool would have been on the \u201cmarket system.\u201d<\/li>\n
- That\u2019s right:\u00a0 In total, the Firm paid out nearly twice as much in associate bonuses as it would have on market. \u00a0As usual, we are happy to do it, because you earned it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\n
Bonus payments will be distributed this week to all associates in good standing, and the Finance Department will follow with details regarding all attorneys\u2019 Formula Compensation calculations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On behalf of the partners, we thank you all for your commitment to the Firm and our clients.\u00a0 Our collective growth and success depends on your good work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We look forward to seeing most of you and your families in Florida at our annual Firm retreat later this week.<\/p>\n
The Managing Partners<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\nKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast<\/a>, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer<\/a>. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her<\/a> with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1<\/a>\u00a0or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nThe post $300,000 Bonuses For Junior Associates? Bonuses 8x The Market Rate? This Biglaw Firm\u2019s Spin On Bonuses Brings In A LOT Of Cash<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bonus time is exciting in Biglaw, in that there\u2019s a lot of money headed to associates\u2019 bank accounts. But it *can* be a little boring in that after the market rate (this year a combination of year-end and special bonuses) is set, most of Biglaw merely follows suit. But not Boies Schiller. The firm, which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":138731,"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-138730","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\/12\/IMG_5243-1-scaled-e1623338814705-620x568-ics3PT.jpg?fit=620%2C568&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138730","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=138730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}