first

So what was that rumor about Mayer Brown trying to lowball the bonus market?

Thanks for the post, Lat. But timing could be better, as we're all blowing off work watching the Cubs game at various web outlets, if not blowing the day off completely.

Here's a good question: If you're stuck at work, and don't want to pay for mlb.tv, what's the best way to take in a ball bame online?

Lat - how about one of these threads for Boston?

Can someone post the Kirkland tables from last year?

Lat to 50K!

Why aren't the Cubs on WGN?

Lat - your 9/11 web poll (ad?) misspells "anniversary"

Now back to marking this agreement...

Lat - do a story on the relationship between Tom Riccio (OJ middleman) and Bill Riccio (prominent white supremacist). They are first cousins and lived together for a while.

Was OJ set up by a white supremacist group holding a longtime grudge for killing a white woman? The mainstream media have the evidence, but they aren't reporting the story. This is your Woodward & Bernstein moment.

fitzgerald & fitzgerald to $190!

C'mon 2:39. You are making six figures and wont shell out $90 for an entire season of mlb.tv?! Im here in NY and Ive been watching the Cubs all season, and I had the pleasure of watching the Brewers lose last night. Then again, if you are in Chicago, you may not be able to watch the Cubs because they are local. Hey, hey 5-2 Cubbies!!

Back to bonuses:

Brinks has indicated that bonuses will be large this year (this comes after all the bad press from the non-offers to summers).

2:39 here: my firm has some type of internet blocking software that won't allow streaming media through. Not really sure how it works, because I can watch YouTube videos, but can't listen to Internet radio. Anyway, my guess that mlb.tv would be blocked, or somewhat frowned upon.

So far, ESPN's GameCast seems to be the best the net has to offer, but I'm open to other suggestions.

Oh, and I'm a long suffering Brewers fan. Was there in '82 when they last went to the playoffs (yes, I'm old).

Bud Selig is a MF'er. He hung our team out to dry. But I'm a little off-topic . . .

BB - will it play radio? MLB's radio is only like $20 a year or something, and is excellent. Of course, you need headphones or something.

Seems like the only bonuses Chicago associates need is access to mlb tv to watch the cubs.

Winston. Any info?

I'd give up my bonus and first born to see the Cubs win it all.

Last year's bonuses for Sidley were generally not well received. 1st years got $20k for 2000. 2nd years billing around 2400 got just under $35k. Generally held sentiments are that things will be similarly skimpy or worse this year . .

I ALREADY HAVE A CLAIM TO YOUR FIRST BORN.

C'mon Chicagoans, Lat gives the City of Big Shoulders priority over DC, and all anyone can talk about is a baseball game?

3:57- Not to worry, your first born is safe. As is your bonus.

What's to talk about? Kirkland's bonuses are great, the others...not so much.

I'll echo the discontent re Sidley. We had been told going into bonus season that there would be a big jump and that everyone would be very happy. As it came closer, people started suggesting that the increase would be larger for the junior associates to match the market (which it didn't). In the end, if you were a mid level and billed 2400+, you didn't do much better than a first year who billed 2000. Partners actually had to go around to explain to each mid level why they did what they did (in my group, anyway). Then we all heard about the truckloads of money Kirkland associates got, and people were not happy (of course, we were all still getting 5 figure bonues, but let's not go there).

So are you happy $$$$$? And you obviously don't follow sports if you call one of the last ten games in an extremely tight pennant race just "a baseball game."

And, of course, like this is the only ATL string that has ever gone off topic. Go Cubs!!

As I said, we can't get any streaming media, so MLB radio isn't an option (money isn't the issue, access is). My firm also watches over this site like a hawk, so I can't mention them by name, unfortunately.

Anyway, my deal cratered, so I'm sneaking out to watch the game at a bar. You can talk bonuses all you want. No one knows crap at this point anyway.

Oh, and the Cubs suck. And did I mention I hate Bud Selig?

Jeez, 4:14, way to defy the rumors that the folks at Sidley are "nicer."

Anyone know anything about Goldberg Kohn bonuses?

C'mon, guys. Some of us are interviewing and trying to pick a law firm. So we know that Sidley first-year bonuses are about $20K. What about Jenner and Mayer? And what if you're a second-year or midlevel and you bill at least 2000 but not 2400 (at Sidley or elsewhere)? What can you expect? And at Winston?
Outside NY, bonuses don't appear to be uniform and those of us going through OCI and callbacks would greatly appreciate any add'l info. Thanks.

Any info on Jones Day Chicago bonuses? Around February of this year I ran into a few JD folks who received bonuses, but they were not tied solely to billables.

Anyone want to explain how the JD bonuses are calculated?

4:36, it sounds like (at least at Sidley) bonuses (for junior through mid-levels?) it's $20k for hitting 2000, then $5k for each 100 over 2100. I would imagine the other top firms (excluding K & E) are similar.

Oh, Sidley's nicer, but they're also cheaper. Remember they still have the EEOC case hanging over them. (I say "they" because I left for greener pastures.)

Oh, and little 2L (they're so cute that that age!), at Sidley if you billed around 2000 as a midlevel, you only made less than $10K more than the first year billing 2000.

Now want to really blow your mind 2L: things can and do change each year! Don't pick your firm by the bonus. Narrow your choices, then make some time and go to multiple meetings with the firms, especially with the group(s) you want to be in. Then, figure out which people are less likely to drive you insane if you had to work with them 10 hours a day. I guarantee that if you spend enough time with some BIGFIRM partners, you'll hand over thousands of dollars not to have to be around them ever again. You're going to make more money that 95% of the world, so relax. Stop worrying about making a buck, and focus on making a life.

I thought Jones Day bonuses were a straight multiple of hours. They take the hours you bill and multiply it by zerp.

At Mayer, first year associates get a $20,000 bonus at 2000 billables. For each 100 billables beyond 2000, they get $7,500. These amounts increase for mid-level and senior-level associates.

Moved to Chicago from NY. WHY oh WHY do Chicago associates put up with the secrecy that surrounded last year's bonus pools. I have NO idea what the bonuses were because no one talked. Profits are UP this year - even taking into account the raises, but I bet bonuses stay the same and are passed around in secret memos. Ridiculous.

From a friend who works at Jenner, bonuses last year were between 25K and 75K for associates, but completely discretionary. Also you needed to hit 2050 hours to be bonus eligible. 50 pro bono hours were factored into meeting the 2050 threshold and then all pro bono hours were counted towards your final bonus. So what was typical? My friend was a second year with around 2300 hours total of billable +pro bono and got 30K.

Well played 4:56 (except for the "zerp" part).

And except for the part about being completely wrong.

i've heard mcdermott gives bad bonuses, definitely lower than $20k for first years who hit 2000. can anyone confirm/deny? are there any stats on them? i agree that chicago associates should share more bonus info.

Nobody ever seems to know about Jones Day bonuses. What gives? Anybody in the know?

5:28, shush, don't you know there's a baseball game being played! What, do you think this is some sort of law-related site or, even crazier, a thread ABOUT BONUSES IN CHICAGO? (I know, I know, once I'm as August an attorney as 4:14, I'll no longer need to use all caps to make a point.)

4:58 - what's the mystery? K&E associates get paid, and everyone else claims they work at a lifestyle firm.

Kirkland grid: http://www.infirmation.com/bboard/clubs-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0035kz

1700 hours got you $25k as a 1st year last year, and 2000 hours got you $37k.

oh, and it's a firmwide grid, too (at least was last year) at K&E.

The reason why no one knows much about Jones Day bonuses is because every associate receives a different bonus, ranging from nothing to about 30k for 1st/2nd years.

It does not follow a grid like Kirkland. Moreover, there is hell to pay if an associate lets his/her bonus info be known.

6:01

How do you know this?

Oops. And 5:28, it was supposed to be a joke.

any info on Skadden chicago bonuses?

What are Latham's billables/bonuses like?

The idea that Jones Day ever gave a $30K bonus to a first year is laughable. JD is a great firm, but their bonuses, or lack thereof, suck.

skadden chicago: $35K for first years last year, lockstep across all offices, no matter how much you bill (as long as you hit minimum)

Kirkland gives the highest bonuses, then a drop to Mayer, then Sidley, then Winston, and then a drop to other big Chicago shops.

Kirkland's bonuses are very good, but way over-hyped. Don't forget that at Kirkland if you leave in Jan. after getting a "sweet above-market" bonus you will have to leave behind six months of bonus (I've heard they calculate bonuses from June to June). So, if you are there short to mid-term and you leave behind 6 months of bonus, then the result is you don't end up with a truly "above market" bonus in aggregate, but rather roughly "market" bonuses in aggregate while working above market hours.

Wrong. K&E bonuses are calculated Sept. 1 to Aug. 31. Paid in December.

I do not know if a 1st year has ever received 30k at JD chicago, but I am certain that at least one 3rd year has.

Cannot tell you about any other associates though.

Does any one know Latham's bonuses?

Jones Day does not give year end bonuses as a rule. Although a few golden boys (or girls) get them, if you didn't see the inside of One First Street (or, to be fair, Circuit Court chambers), then I'll give you 10 to 1 that you won't be getting one. Shoot, (1) you aren't even guaranteed to get market base, and (2) they are still at 35k for clerkship bonuses.

You don't work at Jones Day for the money. You work at Jones Day for the...for the....you know, I don't really know why you work at Jones Day....

Quick summary:

Kirkland (min 1700; 4-month lag)
1st 1700: $25K
1st 2000: $37K

Skadden (minimum)
$35K lockstep

Mayer (min 2000)
1st 2000: $20K
$7.5K each +100

Jenner (min 2050)
2d 2300: $30K

Sidley (min 2000)
1st 2000: $20K
2d 2400: <$35K

McDermott (min 2000)
1st 2000: <$20K

Jones Day (discretionary)
1st: $0-<$30K

I think Winston's bonuses are surprising smaller. I know a chick who got 20K after working 2300. Anyone else have info for them?

Everyone should print out 4:50's post and save it. On a board dominated by law students and first year associates frothing each other up about things that don't matter, this appears to be a post from someone with actual law firm experience and the perspective that comes with it.

That being said, if the d measuring contest at your school centers on bonuses, and you simply *must win*, go to Kirkland. While bonus figures definitely change year to year, and you can get a nice chunk of change at Mayer, Winston, or Sidley, Kirkland consistently leads the market. If you are making your decision based on bonuses, and you fail to get a Kirkland offer, you have failed at life.

So if Kirkland pays so much, why doesn't everyone go there (or at least everyone who gets an offer)? I mean I keep hearing things about them working harder, but is that really true in Chicago? I just have serious doubts that people work significantly harder at any of the firms we are talking about here. Anyone with some substantive info or anecdotes please respond.

11:07, I think you have hit on it. It is the reputation that at Kirkland you will have to work so much harder than you would at Sidley or Mayer. In reality, the difference (if there really is one), is probably not enough to justify the significantly lower bonuses you get at Sidley or Mayer (for working the same amount of hours). But there are lots of people that think they want more of a "liveable" firm, and so they go somewhere else.

One other thing is that the culture of Kirkland is a little more type-A than other places, so that doesn't work for some people. But those tend to be the same people who are looking for a lifestyle firm, so maybe I am just repeating myself.

That being said, a lot of Kirkland's business is private equity firms, and it remains to be seen whether or to what extent the credit crunch will hurt their bottom line.

In the past couple of years, Winston's bonuses have been near the bottom of the market for Chicago firms. They also taper off significantly after you work more than 2300 hours or so.

I know 5 associates at Jones Day here in town. 3 of the 5 got bonuses, but less than 20k.

a JD associate, I got a 3K bonus for billing 2400 hours. most of my peers were paid nothing. the low to non-existent bonuses were a frequent topic of discussion - and not just in Chicago, but also in NY, DC, TX.

4:40 got it right: Bonus = (Hours)*(0)

3K for 2400???

That's offensive. That's where it would have been better to get nothing, and chalk it up to the "philosophy" of the firm. Seriously, that's like saying "we know you're working really hard, so why don't you take the morning off and come in around 1 on Saturday."

4:40

are you in Chicago? how does the firm respond to undoubtedly disappointed associates?

I don't think K&E matches any 401k contributions and their other benefits are very costly for associates. So, they skimp on some things in order to give it all in the bonuses. Nobody ever really learns about the skimping in other areas, everyone simply focuses on the bonuses--smart management and marketing.

9:00-- nobody matches 401K

11:23--"In reality, the difference (if there really is one), is probably not enough to justify the significantly lower bonuses you get at Sidley or Mayer (for working the same amount of hours)."

I can confirm this. Many of my colleagues at Sidley bill 2200-2400+ hours a year, and make tens of thousands less than Kirkland associates. I can't think of a reason not to go to Kirkland if you have an offer and want to work at a big firm. Any marginal difference is outweighted by the $$$$.

skadden chicago was only mentioned twice in this whole thread. are they really just not integrated into the chicago market to the same extent as the homegrown chicago firms? is it a bad move to choose skadden over mayer or sidley or - gasp - even kirkland?

thanks guys.

To those that wonder why everyone doesn't go to Kirkland: whether true or not, among those who get past the "work harder" perception, there is the perception that Kirkland associates partners care less about the associates as persons. I have no idea if this is true (and of course, neither does anyone else, as it's not really studied or charted), but there is perception that Kirkland partners don't care if associates never see their spouses, while partners at Sidley, Jones Day, etc., at least say they feel bad about it. Whether that's worth x amount in bonus money is up to the applicant.

Also, to the poster who said there is feeling there are more "type A" people at Kirkland, I think it's really that people believe that Kirkland has more type A-hole people. Again, difficult to accurately quantify, although I will say from my personal experience, Kirkland people are rarely shy about telling you they're the best firm in the city and that everyone else is a second rate player in the market.

Finally, regarding Skadden: Skadden actually pays rather low bonuses, but the base pay is higher, so the idea is that it evens out.

2:21 AM, true, it's hard to quantify the factors that account for the alleged cultures of Kirkland v. Sidley, etc. But here's an anectdotal theory, which perhaps others can confirm or challenge:

I know of at least a few associates who left Kirkland for Sidley (and claim to be happier due to the "more humane" culture). I've heard of at least one partner who left Sidley for Kirkland (to make more money), but this seems less relevant to a discussion on associate comp and quality of life.

(What is Skadden's "higher" base pay?)

7:08 - I've heard the same re: Kirkland departures to Sidley (but I'm told it is rare). It doesn't seem like many associates would leave either firm for any other firms in Chi.

I too would like to know about Skadden's higher base pay...

Skadden pays 160 just like everyone else that is relevant in Chicago.

Sidley, Winston & Mayer all pay about the same, at least through the first four years. Kirkland pays more, but they get what they pay for.

Same sorta Skadden question but in regard to Latham. If you're getting paid the same, is it better to go to Latham & Watkins which is ranked higher nationally on Vault over Sidley or does it really matter. Any idea on bonuses at LW Chicago v. bonuses at Sidley?

Latham bonuses are a minimum of $27.5k for first years who hit 1900. I think the average bonus is around $31k for first years.

someone mentioned that skadden's bonuses aren't great. they're not bad either. it's lockstep (so everyone of a certain year gets the same, assuming they meet the 1600 hour minimum): 1st years 35K, 2nd years 40K, etc. average hours ends up being around 1950.

re skadden's higher base pay: the base salary increases more quickly than most firms (not sure exactly how it measures against the other big chi firms). so yes, everyone starts at 160K, but midlevels may be making more than at peer firms.

So....first year total comp at Skadden is $195k, for average billables of 1950? Many 2L's who receive an offer from either Sidley or Kirkland also receive an offer from Skadden...why then do they (more often than not) go to work at Sidley or Kirkland?

You'll get paid the same, but Latham and Skadden both get second-rate work in Chicago. It's better to work at a headquarters office.

eh, yes and no. i wouldn't be so quick to equate skadden and latham.

keep in mind we're all splitting hairs here. it's not like kirkland and sidley attorneys throw rocks at skadden and latham attorneys when they pass each other on the street...

Alright so would anyone turn Kirkland down for another firm? If yes, then which firms and why?

12:27 - because a lot of people will make more at Kirkland (look at the first-year median on Kirkland's bonus grid (52k)). If you can keep your hours really low at Skadden, great. But if you get busy (and it isn't necessarily up to you) and you bill 2400 you would get a 50k bonus as a first year at K&E, but you would get screwed by the class bonus at Skadden (well, not screwed, but still 15k less than K&E).

Just keep in mind that its not like you can tell the partners at Skadden, hey, I would love to help you with that deal but I am already at 1950, so I am just going to chill until the new FY starts. At least under a system like K&E's you get compensated if you work harder than the guy/girl down the hall.

the flipside is also true, though: because associates at skadden aren't constantly comparing bonus checks, the focus really isn't on hours the way it can be elsewhere. i'm not at skadden, but i appreciate the philosophy behind the lockstep system.

Good point 3:36, except that we are talking about Skadden. Last I checked they work on the same deals/cases as Kirkland, so whether or not the associates are focused on hours their billables are going to be in the same ballpark.

3:36,

That is often the same logic for not having lock step or bonuses tied solely to billables.

Associates will concentrate more on quality, rather solely on quantity.

To 1:28 (9/23) -- I know a lot of people who declined Kirkland offers. In fact, among students in my law school class who work in Chicago, Kirkland was not the most popular choice, by a long shot. The main reason, I think it's safe to say, is the personality of the firm. While some law firms are honestly pretty hard to tell apart based on the interview process, Kirkland has an immediately apparent type-A edge to it that some people like, and some people don't. It's not necessarily a matter of billable hours, it's a matter of the attitudes of the lawyers at the firm, and whether it's a good match for a given candidate.

There are times at which a law firm's attitude towards their associates' outside lives can make an enormous difference. When times are tough for your group work-wise, will they understand if you need to take a night off for an anniversary dinner? Take a day off to watch your kid's playoff soccer game? Take a couple of days off to help a sick family member or friend? Will they "allow" you to take a long-planned vacation or long weekend to see family and friends? This stuff will be a big deal to you some day, and these are the issues that often lead people to leave their law firms.

I'm not saying that Kirkland is necessarily a bad place when it comes to these quality of life issues, because I've never worked there, but I personally got the feeling that they placed a particularly strong emphasis on their devotion to their work above all else. So to answer your question, it is often these quality of life issues that cause people to choose firms other than Kirkland, particularly given that no matter which big firm you go to, you will make a lot of money.

Some people will always say that those who choose a firm for quality of life are suckers. After all, you can quantify those bonus dollars, but you can never quantify satisfaction. The bottom line is that while everyone seems to want the "right answer" when it comes to choosing a firm, the right answer depends on the person involved. You just have to go to your interviews, meet as many people in your area of interest as possible, and make the best decision you can for you based on imperfect information. Good luck!

9:52 - Thanks. That was a great response. Just out of curiosity what school did you attend?

I work at McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff. First years are paid $160. We are supposed to bill 1950 per year. If we bill 2000 per year, we get a non-discretionary 5% bonus. Bonuses for time over 2000 hours are discretionary. It appears that they pay about $5K-8K for each hundred hours over 2000. We also get about 5% of our salary put into our 401K each March/April. This is discretionary and depends on the firm's profitability.

I am very curious about the bonuses other Chicago IP firms are paying. Any Brinks, Leydig, McAndrews, or Marshall people out there with some info to share? Don't be bashful.

Seyfarth?

9:52: All of that is very well-put. I'm at a place that gets on my nerves but, at the end of the day, if I have a wedding to go to, it's non-negotiable and nobody acts as if it is. That said, somebody once told me that you don't work for a law firm, you work for your practice group. If you hear that a firm is great, but that the practice group is a nightmare, don't be fooled into thinking the firm's culture will seep into the practice group. It generally doesn't.

Indeed, 9:52's (9/23) was one of the better posts I've seen on here in a while. And 9:24 raises a good topic for discussion:

Any insights as to practice groups at Chicago's top offices (hours, quality of life, partner attitudes toward associates, etc.)?

Please. Are you really going to see that big of a difference as to being a litigator for Skadden or Latham in Chicago than you will at Sidley. Besides, won't bigger national firms give you more mobility. Five years from now, if I want to leave Chicago, will Latham give me a better opportunity to do that than a Homegrown Chicago Headquarters.

10:27, how can anyone know what the hell you mean with such use of words and punctuation?

As an example of why one might decline Kirkland...

I talked to a friend that had summered there. Asked him what he thought. He said he liked it. Then proceeded, over the course of the next 10 minutes, to tell me about summer experiences such as watching an associate berate a homeless man on the street and watching the reaction of everyone around him when the guy in the office next door just stopped showing up one day. Apparently the guy had completely cracked; his wife came in to clean out his desk after a couple of weeks. It didn't sound like an ideal atmosphere.

Sure, those stories might be the exception and not the rule, but I didn't regret my decision when I found out from a friend who summered there the same summer I would have that they gave an offer to a guy who pretty openly sexually harassed another summer (who made it clear to everyone, including the partner in charge of the summer program, that the harassment was not welcome).

I've never worked there, soI can't say for 100% sure I made the right decision. All I know is I'm happy where I ended up, and I certainly don't sit at my desk and pine for Kirkland.

But on a positive note, rumor has it that Kirkland will be providing its incoming 2008 summers with a crash self defense course. Being an "alpha" or "eat-what-you-kill" type (as Kirkland is known to attract) is fairly safe in the pampered confines of Ivy colleges, top law schools and law offices, but there can be painful and embarrassing results when young Denny Cranes insult plump yet pugilistic gals who happen to be drinking at the same establishment as a group of summers...

10:37, you work at Kirkland don't you? It's difficult to check punctuation and grammar when you're blogging in the middle of your BA class.

11:28, how can I be in the middle of my BA class if I also work at Kirkland? Or did you mean "It's difficult to check punctuation and grammar when one is blogging in the middle of one's BA class"?

I know Paul Hastings has a small (but growing) Chicago office. Anyone have any info on their bonuses; are they the same as NY or LA bonuses? I also think they match 401k, right? How much can this actually translate into a "raise"?

I am a fifth year at Mayer and will be above 2400. If I don't get the $70k or slightly less that last year's bonus grid dictates, I am going to leave. All 2400 of my hours will be billed to clients at a blended rate (we change rates in the middle of the year, so I've been billed as a sixth year since July) of about $420 or so. That's more than a million of revenue. Because Mayer lagged on the raises in Chicago, I'll make around $220k in salary this year. If my hours-based bonus doesn't put me close to $300k, fuck Paul and Jim and Fritz, I'm out. My group has had terrible losses of mid-level associates, so they're scared we're going to leave. If they let the rest of the partners nickel and dime us, they will regret it, I promise.

"Kirkland has an immediately apparent type-A edge to it that some people like, and some people don't."

I'm definitely not type-A, and I had a great summer, including my interactions with the partners. This "type-A" myth is just another one spread around by the non-Kirkland types, purporting that they've got a better "lifestyle," which just means "same billables, smaller pay, louder anecdotes."

1:25, hmm...so you say you had a great "summer"...

Yeah, summer '06, I just started here. Sure, I bet the daily grind gets to anybody. But after sitting in on meetings with partners, asking pointed questions to senior associates at lunch who didn't mind answering bluntly, and letting junior associates run their mouths after a few drinks at happy hour, I got a pretty good feel that K&E's about typical for BIGLAW.

Well, 3:01 was a summer there and has been there two weeks as an associate, and may soon be admitted to the bar, so he or she certainly is more qualified to opine that the hundreds of associates (at Kirkland and otherwise) who have described the QOL at Kirkland over the years. There would be no reason to mislead summers, right?

People please. All this anti-kirkland hype is just that... HYPE. there are jerks everywhere - small firm, big firm, kirkland, skadden. at least at a place like kirkland you don't necessarily have to work for that jerk (free market system anyone?). and if you do, at least you'll have a fat bonus in your pocket at the end of the year.

I'll echo an earlier post: How about some insights as to practice groups (hours, life, etc.) at a particular firm...

Any info on Ross, Dixon, Bell?

Someone posted that at Skadden, one can get a bonus by billing a minimum of 1600 hrs. How is this possible? Is it real?

At my mid-law Chicago shop, if one billed 1600 hrs, you'll be kindly asked to bill 2400 next year or else pack up and leave. Bonus talk would be the farthest thing from anyone's mind.

At Skadden, you get $375 for every baby you eat.

At Skadden at 1600, you will get your bonus + a pink slip.

any info on Lord Bissell (now Locke Lord)?

The 1,600 minimum at Skadden is true. There are people on track to bill 1,700 hours and they certainly aren't in any danger of losing their jobs (and they'll get full bonuses). We all know that practice groups are busy in cycles. If someone has a slow year, chances are they'll make up for it eventually.

7:16 - are you serious? that's at least 15% more than anywhere else. i'm at sidley and we only get $310/baby. it's been a tough year though.

but then again, i'm pretty sure skadden requires the ingestion of the bones, too, which, in my opinion, isn't worth the $65 extra.

12:56

How do you like Mayer Chicago?

can anyone please tell me about bonuses at katten and sonnenschein?

Kirkland historically has had a lower base salary than Skadden. Although Kirkland's above class bonus may top Skadden's lockstep, the average overall compensation has been, and is likely to remain similar. But at Skadden you do not need to be as concerned with hours.

Enough already with the ersatz claim that Skadden pays a higher base salary.

If, as was rumored (at least before The Credit Crisis), NY sees an increase (to 170 or $175k), then perhaps Skadden can be held out again as the rouge office in Chicago paying the NY rate (provided Skadden upholds its past practice of paying the same everywhere).

I believe the point is that the Kirkland bonuses people are citing were given at a time when Kirkland paid 10k less than Skadden Chicago. It is reasonable to assume that now that the base salary differential is 10k less, the bonus differential will decrease by ~10k, assuming Kirkland's bonuses are correlated with competitors’ comp levels. Total comp is what we all care about, so discussions about bonuses will inevitably include discussions about base salary.

anyone think that Chicago will raise pay if New York raises? Skadden? Kirkland?

I doubt it. But Skadden did pay the NY rate in Chicago (and everywhere else) before the last two rounds of raises.

If any firms raise in Chi (besides Skadden - and perhaps Latham and Paul Hastings), it will be (at first) be limited to Kirkland, Sidley and Mayer Brown. Winston and Jenner would follow, months later. However, bear in mind that comp committees at chicago offices were none too happy about the move to 160k.

Is there any reason Foley & Lardner's never mentioned on this list? They're a huge national firm... with pretty decent profits... yet.. no one seems to ever talk about them and I'm wondering what the deal is...

F & L, though it has a Chicago office, is not a Chicago firm. Not too sure what that means in terms of bonuses...

Why has no one mentioned Baker & Mckenzie in this thread? What's the bonus situation in their Chicago office?

Rumor has it that B & M pays minimal bonuses (and resists moving on base salaries tooth-and-nail). Then again, most info regarding bonuses in the Chi market (contra NY) is in the form of rumors, for whatever that's worth.

On the flipside, I've actually heard that B & M is a fairly decent work environment.

11:25

I think someone posted that Baker gives bonuses in the 5% (of salary) range for meeting 2100 hrs (or was it 2000?). Can't remember exactly, but the bonus was not high. However, BM is also known as a firm where making partner is more feasible, fwiw.

Why no mention of Katten?

What are bonuses at DLA?