What exactly is going on with Chadbourne? I have seen a whole bunch of rumors both here and on Greedy Associates, but nothing seems to be confirmed.

Anyone?

The memo to DLA Piper came with a huge caveat:

"As communicated in past years, those who meet our admittedly high performance expectations should be confident of receiving the base salary increase that has been set for their practice and market. You will each receive an individual communication by Monday, February 12 confirming your salary. Increases will be retroactive to January 1 and included in paychecks dated February 16."

This is a way of projecting to the world that DLA Piper is increasing Associate salaries while quietly informing many Associates that they will not be receiving salary increases that match the market. Many Associates will likely be held back.

From what I gather, this problem may particularly acute in the Baltimore and Washington offices, where Associates are not getting enough work.

Chadbourne has NOT RAISEd. So consider that confirmed.

can we put together a list of NY firms (or from anywhere, who cares) of firms who haven't yet matched??

I'm just a 3L. Can someone please explain the growing gap in compensation between NY and CA associates? There doesn't seem to be much difference in COL. Do NY associates really bill that much more than CA associates? First-year salaries were 125,000 across the board just two years ago and now there's a 15,000 gap; have NY billable hour averages been increasing at a faster rate than CA averages? I'm genuinely curious...

wow...very glad I didn't take that DLA (AKA The Borg) offer...bad work/life and bad pay.

FrankMurphy - the New York market is driven by a lot of financial markets work that is only or mostly done in NYC. Generally that work has higher margins then other legal work. So most firms with substantial NYC operations make more money there then elsewhere.

That means they have more money to throw around to compete for associates.

confirmation that K&L gates NY matched.

Post K&L numbers.

So DLA is paying $145K in Seattle? Wonder if anyone will match that. It's pathetic that the local firms are still paying only $100K.

Why is DLA Piper in Dallas paying 135K for first-years and 155K for second-years? Is that a typo for the first year pay? It seems that they meant 145K for that year to be in line with their Austin and other offices.

Why are Dallas associates at DLA paid less than Austin associates?

Frank: Depends on who you ask. NYers say yes to both your questions (COL and billables). We here in CA say bullshit. (Same as to DC.) And the $15k gap grows to $35k-$65k in the upper levels. Ridiculous.

Yes, I know I'm bitter.....

"I'm just a 3L. Can someone please explain the growing gap in compensation between NY and CA associates? There doesn't seem to be much difference in COL. Do NY associates really bill that much more than CA associates? First-year salaries were 125,000 across the board just two years ago and now there's a 15,000 gap; have NY billable hour averages been increasing at a faster rate than CA averages? I'm genuinely curious..."

I'm going to speculate that supply and demand has something to do with this ...

dont have the numbers- the e mail just went out to associates today. i'm sure someone more in the know will post the numbers... i just know they matched 160

FrankMurphy:

according to the CNN/Money COL calculator:

$160,000 in NYC is equal to:

$116,672.23 in LA;

$134,773.78 in SF;

$114,383.79 in the OC.

7:18 -- I imagine you mean matched 160 in NYC?

yes, i said k&l NY i dont know anything about the other offices.

is there any proof about Ropes?

no proof about Ropes...all rumor and conjecture at this point

do people think that since mlb is now $145k & dla is now $135k in philly that other philly firms currently paying $125k will raise also?

Seattle: totally messed up market, but the local firms pay more than $100k to start. Before the current round of raises (which is just trickling up here), but big NW firms paid ~$110-$115 to start. Maybe they'll also institute some raises. The national firms pay more. Now Orrick will pay $125 to start, DLA will pay $145. WSGR hasn't raised anywhere yet, but currently pays $135.

7:18 --

COL doesn't explain the disparity btw NY-based firms in DC and virtually any firm in LA:

Salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA: $160,000
Comparable salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach CA: $176,897.5

from CNN's calculator

i.e., DC assocs at 160K are making a KILLING

What's the word on the result of the Wiley associates meeting?

FrankMurphy 7:07: Law firms base salaries on what they need to pay associates to keep them from leaving to join competing firms or to help with recruiting (as in "we are just as prestigious as X firm because we pay as much as X firm"). Law firms do not care about cost of living. Generally, law firms also do not consider it a problem if an associate in CA bills the same rate for the same number of hours as a NY associate but gets less compensation. This is not a fairness thing, it is a market thing.

Wiley Rein raised to 145 for first years on the 1950 track, and 125 for first years on the 1800 track. They basically followed Hogan's salary structure, with one or two slight differences in upper-levels.

I hear Foley & Lardner also has a similar comp structure as Hogan. What's the deal with that? Has Foley raised in DC, NY and Chicago?

WSGR went to $160 NY, $145 all other offices.

Who the F is WGSR?

7:56, can you explain the "tracks?"

Can someone post the A&K (Texas) memo?

WSGR stands for Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati.

According to greedy WSGR has matched the $160k NYC / $145k elsewhere scale by voicemail. Still no memo though.

http://www.infirmation.com/bboard/clubs-fetch-msg.tcl?topic=Greedy%20SF%2fSV&msg_id=0036qS

Firms paying 160 in Texas:
Fish and Richardson (Dallas, Austin)
Skadden (Houston)
Weil (Dallas, Houston, Austin)

Firms paying 155 in Texas:
????

Firms paying 145 in Texas:
Gibson Dunn (Dallas)
Patton Boggs (Dallas)
Jenner & Block (Dallas)
DLA Piper (Dallas, Austin)
WSGR (Austin)

Firms paying 135/140:
V&E
Baker Botts
Fulbright
A&K
Akin
Winstead
Locke

"Why are Dallas associates at DLA paid less than Austin associates?"

That is weird. It's not like the Texas firms are going to pay more in Austin than Dallas.

Was that a DLA, Piper Rudnik or Gray Cary office before? Maybe that has something to do with it? It shouldn't, but that's the only thing I can think of.

I know the office is tiny as well. Could be another reason.

8:56:

The only thing that makes sense is politics. How else do you explain that Seattle, Baltimore and Austin are being paid on par with Chicago and D.C.

So Chicago firms we're waiting on:

Baker & McKenzie
Kirkland & Ellis
Winston & Strawn
Vedder Price
Foley & Lardner

The MSM has reported the prompting for the recent raise in salaries is due to, at least in large part, to hedge funds competing for lawyers (see the WSJ blog). So it makes sense that the firms with strong investment management competencies would match, since those would be the attorneys first to defect...so that means essentially Seward & Kissel and Schulte in NYC. Schulte matched, but don't see any word from Seward? They were at mkt rate last year when I interviewed with them, but now?

I don't think these Chicago firms announced.

Ungaretti
Bell Boyd
Sachnoff
Seyfarth
Wildman
McGuise Woods
Hinshaw
Lord Bissell

Also silent in Chicago:

Chapman Cutler
Burke Warren
Bryan Cave

"7:56, can you explain the "tracks?""

If you bill 1800, you get 125
If you bill 1950, you get 145

The different billable amounts you can choose are called tracks.

Seattle: Two of the biggest Seattle firms ONLY pay 100K. Perkins pays $100 plus a 10 bonus to first years so technically $110K. But Davis Wright only pays $102K - still!! And K&L Gates only changed increased to $115 after the merger so it is only a very recent change. I don't think DLA or WSGR will have much of an impact on the big Seattle firms - but they should or highly qualified candidates are going to start looking elsewhere.

Foley hasn't announced this year, but first years make 135 at 1850 and 145 at 1950.

I imagine Foley would go to 145 at 1850 and a bit higher at 1950?

Which Foley? Lardner or Hoag?

Lardner. Foley H ain't moving in Boston (at least for now)

Which Foley office are we talking about?

holland + knight where are you?

Any word on Dechert yet? Any chance they could go to 160 in non-NY offices (a la Fish and Dewey)?

seriously enough with the COL "debate". Accept it as fact. NY is more expensive to live in. You dont believe me, leave CA and come here and STOP WHINING!

re: COL issue, CNN's calculator comes up with results that sometimes vary quite a bit with those of bankrate, and these probably differ from all the other calculators. Point is, don't trust just one. For example:

$125,000 in DC/Arlington/Alexandria is worth $189,500 in Manhattan dollars per CNN, and worth $179,400 per bankrate.

$125,000 in LA/Long Beach is worth 171,000 in Manhattan per CNN, but only worth $160,600 per bankrate.

$125,000 in Chicago is worth $134,000 in DC/Arlington/Alexandria per CNN, and worth $151,000 per bankrate.

Those are some significant differences, especially over the course of a few years.

WSGR matched but no retroactivity. It only goes back to Feb 1st which is the start of the firm's fiscal year.

Any word on Reed Smith?

Chadbourne did match, at least through mid levels. Individual memos to each associate.

anon 11:26

Dechert.............non-NY 160?

You're a funny guy.

Anon 12:51 - Their PPP is nearly $2 million. Going to 160 would be a good way of announcing that they see themselves as on par with the Weil Gotshals and Jones Days of the world.

But you're probably right; wishful thinking on my part.

Can anyone confirm the WSGR scale???

anon 1:28

Don't get me wrong, with their PPP they shpould definitely be going in that direction......but they won't.

So no one in Philadelphia has done squat, right?

And Philly complains about the brain drain to NYC and DC....

philly - no surprise there.

DLA in Philly went to $135k. Check out the DLA Memo from yesterday.

Dechert and Morgan Lewis were already at 135 (from last year).

Nothing is going to happen.

According to Greedy Associates, Drinker Biddle went to $135,000 in Philly.

thought DLA was already at 135K which started last year's raises.

considering two firms in philly have already raised 10k this week in response to the STB raise, I think you're being a little presumptuous in saying nothing is going to happen.

Fine, no one is going to go above Dechert or Morgan Lewis.

Agreed - 145 is tops for the philly market. i think you'll see pepper, blank, drinker and the other notables go to 135. the only wrinkle in the situation is that drinker was already rumoured to have been making a move to match mlb and dechert prior to the stb raise, so maybe they go to 145, and that might drag the rest of big firms up with them.

Did DLA really bump in Philly? The memo in this thread doesn't list the Philly office as receiving an increase.

So, the two firms in Philly that bumped are DLA and what?

Did DLA really bump in Philly? The memo in this thread doesn't list the Philly office as receiving an increase.

So, the two firms in Philly that bumped are DLA and what?

If you look in the big memo, with the break down for all offices at the top of the thread, you'll see the philly pay raise. The other firm to make a raise was Morgan Lewis who went to 145. Someone above also reported that Drinker Biddle has gone to 135.

WHAT is going on with the conflicting Chadbourne rumors? Lat can you please find a source there?

Let's take the party over to the new thread:

http://www.abovethelaw.com/2007/02/skaddenfreude_the_latest_news.php

DLA sounds MISERABLE

GET OUT ALL OF YOU AT DLA - RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!

MLB in philly is actually at 145k

Is Katten Muchin still deferring 'base' compensation?

What is the problem at DLA? How is it different than other biglawfirms?

145k can buy you a lot of pretzels in Philly.

145k can buy you a lot of pretzels in Philly.

Seattle market sucks

Does anyone have confirmation of the rumor that Finnegan Henderson has gone to 160 in DC?

http://www.infirmation.com/bboard/clubs-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0036y9

2006-160
2005-170
2004-185
2003-200
2002-215
2001-230
2000-250
1999-270

5% bonus per 100 hours over 2000 up to 2400 up to 20% merit bonus

what is finnegan henderson?