Spring
has
officially
sprung,
the
weather
is
finally
starting
to
get
nice.
What
better
time
for
a
Biglaw
firm
to
announce
that
it’s
interested
in
making
big
money
moves
for
associates?
Earlier
this
week,
Morris
Nichols
Arsht
&
Tunnell,
a
Delaware
firm
rated
as
one
of
the
best
in
the
Mid-Atlantic
region
by
Vault,
announced
that
it
would
be
increasing
salaries
for
all
associates
and
special
counsel,
effective
immediately.
Entry-level
associates
at
the
firm
will
now
be
making
$210,000,
up
$20,000
from
the
$190,000
they’d
been
making
previously.
According
to
a
press
release,
Morris
Nichols
is
a
firm
that
prides
itself
on
its
“commitment
to
attracting
and
retaining
top-tier
attorneys
to
sustain
[its]
position
as
a
leading
Delaware
law
firm,”
so
while
nothing
is
specifically
mentioned
about
salary
increases
for
all
other
associates,
we
imagine
they
must
be
seeing
commensurate
raises
as
well.
So,
why
did
the
firm
decide
to
raise
salaries
once
again?
Because
like
all
other
firms,
Morris
Nichols
wants
to
take
advantage
of
the
lateral
market.
From
the
firm’s
press
release:
“Our
ability
to
attract
and
retain
top-notch
associates
and
special
counsel
is
the
cornerstone
of
our
Firm’s
continued
success,”
said
Bill
Lafferty,
chair
of
Morris
Nichols’
executive
committee.
“Delaware
is
a
remarkable
place
to
practice
law,
with
the
best
courts
and
judges
in
the
country
and
headline-grabbing
cases
of
national
significance.
By
prioritizing
attorney
recruiting
and
development,
we
aim
to
remain
competitive
for
the
best
legal
talent
in
the
country.”
Better
late
than
never!
This
first-year
salary
bump
may
not
match
the
Cravath
money
that’s
become
the
prevailing
rate
in
more
major
markets
($225K
for
the
Class
of
2023,
to
be
specific),
but
more
money
is
more
money,
so
congratulations
to
all
associates
at
the
firm.
Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
compensation
updates,
so
when
your
firm
announces
or
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus/Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
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
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Thanks
for
your
help!
Morris
Nichols
Raises
Associate
Starting
Salary
[Morris
Nichols]
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
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and
Threads
or
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with
her
on
LinkedIn.
