This Biglaw Firm Is Giving Out Mega Bonuses, Putting Their Total Compensation Ahead Of The Market
Big bonuses at this Biglaw firm.
Everyone loves to see eye-popping bonus numbers! And that’s exactly what associates at Irell are being treated to.
The firm, which made $142,000,000 in total revenue last year, announced bonuses (and only bonuses) for their associates. The impressive scale puts them ahead of the market on compensation.
Below are the market-busting bonuses at Irell, ranging from $45,000 to $175,00 (compared with the industry average of $20,000 to $115,000).
| Class | 2023
December Bonus |
| New Associate (pro-rated for start date) | $45,000 (pro-rated) |
| 1st year (2022) | $45,000 |
| 2nd year (2021) | $55,000 |
| 3rd year (2020) | $95,000 |
| 4th year (2019) | $115,000 |
| 5th year (2018) | $135,000 |
| 6th year (2017) | $160,000 |
| 7th year (2016+) | $175,000 |
That’s great news! As firm leadership notes in their memo, “while the exact ratios vary by class level, our total bonuses across the associate classes this calendar year (spring plus end of year 2023) average more than twice the total market bonuses being paid by most other high-end firms this year.” And adding the bonus numbers to the existing compensation scale puts Irell ahead of the market on total compensation even at firms that have raised base compensation. (And that’s not even accounting for the firm’s spring bonuses, which are confirmed for April/May of 2024.)
That’s wonderful news for associates. (UPDATE: Irell announced associate raises back in November.)
You can read the full memo on the next page.
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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
