via
Getty)
After
boutique
firm
Vartabedian
Hester
&
Haynes
offered
summer
bonuses
and
midsized
firm
Otterbourg
joined
the
fun,
we
wondered
if
the
Biglaw
bonuses
would
eventually
follow.
The
answer
is
yes…
at
least
at
Milbank.
Earlier
today,
the
firm
announced
that
it
would
be
paying
out
special
bonuses
to
associates
and
counsel
across
its
global
presence.
Hey,
lawyers
have
to
pay
for
all
that
Trump
tariff
inflation
starting
today
too!
Milbank
has
taken
a
lead
on
attorney
compensation
for
a
while
now,
causing
ripples
in
the
old
guard
“wait
and
see”
approach
in
Biglaw
by
issuing
earlier
bonuses
and
even
cost
of
living
adjustments
to
keep
its
team
properly
valued.
Will
the
rest
of
Biglaw
follow?
Despite
the
follow-the-leader
nature
of
an
industry
in
a
constant
pitch
battle
for
talent,
firms
have
left
Milbank
hanging
on
compensation
moves
in
the
past.
Hopefully
this
is
one
of
those
times
where
the
industry
pitches
in.
This
can
take
a
little
of
the
sting
out
of
working
for
a
firm
that
promised
Trump
$100
million
in
free
legal
services.
Please
help
us
help
you
when
it
comes
to
salary
news
at
other
firms.
As
soon
as
your
firm’s
memo
comes
out,
please email
it
to
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Salary”)
or
text
us
(646-820-8477).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
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it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.
And
if
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like
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ATL’s
Salary
&
Bonus
Alerts,
please
scroll
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enter
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If
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previously
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receive
an
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notification
within
minutes
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each
bonus
announcement
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we
publish.
Joe
Patrice is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
Feel
free
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tips,
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Joe
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