Associate Compensation Scorecard: Biglaw’s 2025 Bonus Blitz – Above the Law

Firm
Date
Matched
Minimum
Hours
Payout
Date
Cravath
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018:
$115K
/
$25K November
18,
2025 None December
12,
2025
Paul
Hastings
Class
of
2024:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
18,
2025 2000
hours Undisclosed
Cadwalader
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017:
$115K
/
$25K November
18,
2054 Additional
bonuses
“equal
to
120%
of
[market
bonuses]”
for
high
billers
with
2200
hours
or
more By
or
before
end
of
February
2026
Fried
Frank
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
19,
2025 1850
hours
for
special
bonus
(including
billable,
pro
bono,
qualified
nonbillable,
and
firm
matter
hours);
associates
eligible
for
“premium”
bonus
ranging
from
$3K
to
$34.5K
for
2200
hours
or
2450
hours On
or
before
December
31,
2025
McDermott
Will
&
Schulte
Class
of
2025:
$0
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
19,
2025 2000
hours
(merit
bonuses
available
for
eligible
associates;
“two-thirds”
of
legacy
MWE
associates
will
see
bonuses
above
market) December
26,
2025
(legacy
MWE)
/
January
16,
2026
(legacy
SRZ)
Dechert
Class
of
2024:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
19,
2025 1950
hours
(client
billable,
pro
bono,
firm
as
client,
maximum
of
50
community
hours);
associates
who
exceeded
hours
expectations
eligible
to
receive
an
“extraordinary”
bonus
(i.e.,
2200
hours
=
addt’l
30%;
2400+
hours
=
addt’l
40%) By
or
before
end
of
January
2026
Wilkinson
Stekloff
Class
of
2025:
$22.5K
/
$0
spring
bonus
Class
of
2017+:
$172.5K
/
$60K
spring
bonus November
19,
2025 None By
December
15,
2025
Ropes
&
Gray
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017+:
$130K
/
$25K November
20,
2024 1900
creditable
hours
(bonuses
“may
be
increased
up
to
150%
of
the
year-end
bonus
amounts”
for
those
who
have
billed
“materially
more”
than
1900
hours) Undisclosed
Hogan
Lovells
Class
of
2024:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
20,
2025 2000
hours;
additional
bonuses
available
include
incremental
hours-based
bonuses,
discretionary
bonuses,
and
business-generation
bonuses End
of
December
2025
Vartabedian
Hester
&
Haynes
Class
of
2025:
$21K
(total
bonus,
including
$5K
summer
bonus)
Class
of
2018:
$140K
(total
bonus,
including
$5K
summer
bonus) November
20,
2025 1800
hours On
or
before
December
31,
2025
Paul
Weiss
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
21,
2025 None
(additional
discretionary
bonuses
for
“outsized
contributions”) December
22,
2025;
discretionary
bonuses
to
be
paid
in
early
2026
Proskauer
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017:
$115K
/
$25K November
21,
2025 2000
hours On
or
before
December
24,
2025
Baker
Botts
Class
of
2024:
$20K
/
$6K
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
21,
2025 2000
hours
(1800
client
billable
hours
and
200
non-client
billable
hours,
including
pro
bono,
business
development,
etc.);
“enhanced”
bonuses
available
for
“exceptional”
performance Undisclosed
Davis
Polk
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
21,
2025 None December
30,
2025
White
&
Case
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018:
$115K
/
$25K November
21,
2025 Eligibility
criteria
detailed
in
separate
memo February
13,
2026
Debevoise
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
21,
2025 None Undisclosed
Skadden
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
or
$125K
/
$25K November
21,
2025 1800
“productive
hours”
(including
unlimited
pro
bono
time
and
up
to
150
hours
of
productive
non-billable
work) December
15,
2025
Cleary
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
21,
2025 None December
19,
2025
A&O
Shearman
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
21,
2025 2000
hours
(including
a
minimum
of
25
pro
bono
hours
and
up
to
100
investment
hours
(e.g.,
DEI/mental
health;
personal
development/training;
community
involvement;
management
&
talent
development;
knowledge
development;
origination,
client
relationships,
business
development;
and
market
innovation
group));
associates
eligible
for
an
“enhanced
year-end
bonus”
if
they
“significantly
exceed”
the
firm’s
hourly
requirements Undisclosed
Covington
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
21,
2025 1950
hours
(including
pro
bono
and
up
to
50
DEI
hours) January
2026
Vinson
&
Elkins
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
24,
2025 Based
on
hours
and
good
standing On
or
about
January
30,
2026
Simpson
Thacher
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018:
$115K
/
$25K November
24,
2025 Undisclosed December
2025
Milbank
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(paid
9/25)
Class
of
2017:
$115K
/
$25K
(paid
9/25) November
24,
2025 None December
31,
2025
Willkie
Farr
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
24,
2025 None December
31,
2025
Weil
Gotshal
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
25,
2025 None January
30,
2026
Holwell
Shuster
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018:
$115K
/
$25K November
25,
2025 None On
or
before
December
31,
2025
Linklaters
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
26,
2025 1900
hours
(including
unlimited
pro
bono,
up
to
400
hours
of
marketing,
and
other
work) Undisclosed
Clifford
Chance
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K November
26,
2025 None
(based
on
overall
performance,
quality
of
work,
contributions
to
firm,
teamwork,
and
pro
bono) January
15,
2026
Perkins
Coie
Class
of
2025:
$6K
Class
of
2018+:
$25K November
26,
2025 Undisclosed;
year-end
bonuses
announced
separately December
31,
2025
Sidley
Class
of
2024:
$15K
/
$6K
Class
of
2017:
$115K
/
$25K December
1,
2025 2000
hours
required
for
base
bonuses;
associates
with
“higher
productivity
and/or
exceptional
performance”
will
receive
additional
bonuses,
up
to
“more
than
50%
above
base
bonus” Prior
to
December
31,
2025
Sheppard
Mullin
A1:
$15K
/
$6K
C2:
$115K
/
$25K December
2,
2025 2000
hours
for
base
bonus
(associates
who
record
1950
hours
will
receive
a
partial
bonus;
associates
who
record
2200
and
2400
hours
will
receive
110%
and
120%
of
the
market
bonus);
2000
hours
for
special
bonus January
16,
2026
McKool
Smith
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018:
$115K
/
$25K December
2,
2025 Undisclosed;
high
billers
will
receive
additional
bonus
money,
with
some
exceeding
the
market
scale
more
than
35%;
firm
previously
awarded
Thanksgiving
bonuses
based
on
tenure
at
the
firm
(ranging
from
$2.5K
to
$10K) December
19,
2025
Cahill
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$7.5K
(prorated)
Class
of
2017:
$115K
/
$40K December
4,
2025 Undisclosed;
select
associates
in
Classes
of
2018-2022
who
have
demonstrated
“extraordinary”
performance
eligible
for
a
“super
bonus”
up
to
$200K
(based
on
performance
and
seniority)
in
lieu
of
special
bonus Second
half
of
January
2026
Katten
Class
of
2025:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Class
of
2018+:
$115K
/
$25K December
4,
2025 2000
hours
(2100
hours
for
$16.5K-$126.5K;
2200
hours
for
$18K-$138K;
2300
hours
for
$19.5K-$149.5K;
2400
hours
for
$22.5K-$172.5K);
additional
“superstar”
bonuses
available Undisclosed
Orrick
Assoc
Year
1:
$15K
/
$6K
(prorated)
Senior
Assoc
Year
2+:
$115K
/
$25K December
4,
2025 Overmarket
merit
bonuses
for
those
who
have
displayed
“exceptional
performance” December
31,
2025
(special
bonuses);
mid-February
2025
(merit
bonuses)