Another
day,
another
Biglaw
firm
tinkering
with
the
partnership
model.
Yet
another
firm
is
joining
the
growing
ranks
experimenting
with
a
nonequity
partner
tier,
offering
lawyers
the
prestige
of
partnership
title
without
the
full
financial
buy-in
(or
payoff)
that
traditionally
comes
with
it.
As
more
firms
rethink
compensation
structures,
retention
strategies,
and
the
path
to
equity,
the
expansion
of
nonequity
partnership
continues
to
signal
a
broader
shift
in
how
Biglaw
defines
partnership
in
the
first
place.
Cravath
was
one
of
the
first
longtime
holdouts
to
cut
bait
and
create
a “salaried
partner
tier” (i.e.,
nonequity
partners)
back
in
November
2023.
That
move
gave
other
highly
ranked
firms
permission
to
tread
the
same
path,
including
Paul
Weiss,
which
announced
its new
two-tier
partnership
plan in
March
2024;
WilmerHale,
which added
a
nonequity
partnership
tier in
August
2024;
Cleary,
which
announced
its
own new
partnership
platform in
October
2024;
Skadden,
which
began
considering
a nonequity
level in
February
2025;
Schulte
Roth
&
Zabel,
which
announced
an income
partnership
tier in
March
2025
(prior
to
its merger
with
McDermott);
Debevoise,
which
created
its nonequity
partnership
track in
June
2025;
Arnold
&
Porter,
which
quietly
announced
its
income
partner
role
in
December
2025;
Sullivan
&
Cromwell,
which
rolled
out
its nonequity
program in
January
2026;
Freshfields,
which
introduced
its nonequity
tier in
February
2026.
Sources
tell
Above
the
Law
that
yesterday
afternoon,
Sidley
—
the
No.
6
firm
on
the
2025
Am
Law
100
—
notified
all
lawyers
about
its
new
income
partner
tier.
Here’s
an
excerpt
from
that
firmwide
email:
Change
in
Biglaw
rarely
arrives
without
a
little
grumbling,
and
the
rollout
of
a
new
nonequity
partnership
tier
is
no
exception.
Associates
who
once
envisioned
a
more
straightforward
path
to
equity
are
now
grappling
with
the
reality
of
an
extra
rung
on
the
ladder.
“Associates
and
counsel
who
are
up
this
year
got
no
prior
warning
that
a
nonequity
tier
was
even
on
the
table
and
are
furious,”
a
source
told
ATL.
Still,
as
firms
continue
to
normalize
these
structures
across
the
industry,
lawyers
may
ultimately
have
little
choice
but
to
get
used
to
the
new
status
quo,
where
the
title
of
“partner”
doesn’t
necessarily
mean
what
it
used
to.
Best
of
luck
to
Sidley
as
it
moves
forward
with
its
income
partnership
program.
Is
your
firm
planning
to
increase
its
nonequity
partnership
ranks?
Please
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us and
let
us
know.
Thanks.
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
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 Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.