Earlier
this
week,
we
provided
special
coverage
of
what
we
believe
was
the
first
firm
to
hand
out
special
bonuses
to
associates
this
summer.
Littler,
an
Am
Law
100
firm,
handed
out
special
bonuses
that
averaged
$10,000
to
eligible
associates
who
were
on
a
2,100-hour
pace
at
the
end
of
June.
It’s
been
about
a
full
business
week
since
we
publicized
those
special
bonuses,
and
to
our
knowledge,
not
a
single
other
firm
has
matched
or
even
hinted
at
handing
out
special
bonuses
to
associates.
A
source
at
a
top
Am
Law
firm
reached
out
to
us
to
let
us
know
why
they
think
this
could
be.
“Firms
continue
to
crush
associates,”
our
tipster
said.
“They
want
us
to
feel
‘grateful.’”
And
what
should
associates
be
grateful
for?
That
they’re
still
employed
at
the
firm,
of
course.
Our
informant
thinks
that
Biglaw
partners
are
socking
away
cash
without
sharing
the
wealth
and
instilling
fear
of
layoffs
in
associates.
“I
see
too
many
colleagues
suffering
and
struggling
under
the
merciless
hands
of
greedy
partners
in
the
Biglaw
setting,”
they
said.
Things
are
getting
bad
in
Biglaw.
I
am
a
midlevel
associate
at
an
Am
Law
20
firm
and
all
I
see
are
partners
using
the
economy
as
an
excuse
to
drive
fear
into
all
of
us
—
just
so
they
can
extract
every
last
ounce
of
flesh
(dignity,
health,
outlook)
from
associates.The
partners
are
using
media
highlight
reels
of
a
pending
recession,
inflation,
and
layoffs
to
make
us
work
harder
than
ever
before,
and
that’s
saying
A
LOT
after
what
they
had
us
do
in
2021.
My
entire
group
is
clocking
in
rates
just
as
high,
if
not
higher,
than
what
we
were
doing
in
2021.
The
relentless
pressures
have
not
waned
in
the
slightest.
Things
are
even
worse
now
because
of
the
added
pressures
we
have
in
our
personal
lives
(rising
rents,
grocery
bills,
car
payments,
geopolitical
uncertainty
and
distress,
foreign
wars,
pending
student
loans,
etc.).At
least
in
2021
we
were
shown
some
appreciation
in
the
form
of
special
bonuses
that
came
trickling
in
throughout
the
year.
But
in
2022,
the
firms
have
replaced
special
bonuses
with
fear,
intimidation,
and
gamesmanship.
We
all
see
what
these
partners
are
doing:
they
are
using
fear
to
drive
the
associate-powered
gulag.
We
are
all
concerned
that
they
will
simply
pack
away
the
cash,
to
ensure
their
own
well-being,
and
then
toss
us
all
aside
using
stealth
layoffs
—
the
stench
of
pretense
(in
the
form
of
“poor
work
performance”)
has
already
started
to
ruminate.For
firms
to
continue
to
rake
in
the
cash
and
not
share
it
with
the
workforce
that
allows
them
to
get
rich
is
wrong.
Does
this
sound
like
what’s
going
on
at
your
Biglaw
firm?
Pretty
alarming
if
so.
We
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
this
stuff.
If
your
firm
matches
summer
special
bonuses,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Special
Bonuses”).
On
the
flip
side
of
the
coin,
if
your
firm
is
reducing
the
ranks
of
its
lawyers
or
staff,
whether
through
open
layoffs,
stealth
layoffs,
or
voluntary
buyouts,
please
don’t
hesitate
to
let
us
know.
You
can
email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Layoffs”)
or
text
us
(646-820-8477).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
Take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.
And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
or
Layoff
Alerts,
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
these
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
announcement
that
we
publish.
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on
Twitter
or
connect
with
her
on
LinkedIn.
