Every year, elite US law firms hand out bonuses to associates, their hardworking rank-and-file attorneys.
Bonuses are typically ranked based on the number of years of experience associates hold. Many top US law firms match the “Cravath Scale” for associate bonuses, which is based on the salaries and bonuses awarded by the legacy law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
However, as competition for junior talent has intensified, some firms are deviating from the industry standard as they battle to attract and retain top talent.
Here’s how five top US law firms awarded their associates in 2025.
Paul Weiss
Associates at Paul Weiss, a leading Big Law firm headquartered in New York, received annual bonuses of up to $140,000 for 2025.
In addition to the regular year-end bonus, associates would receive “a special 2025 bonus,” said Brad Karp, the chairman of Paul Weiss, in a memo sent to associates on November 20, 2025, seen by Business Insider.
“On behalf of my partners, please accept our sincere gratitude for all you do to make our firm so exceptional,” Karp told associates.
Paul Weiss’ associate bonuses categorized by class year were:
- Class year 2025: bonus $15,000 (prorated), special bonus $6,000 (prorated)
- Class year 2024: bonus $20,000, special bonus $6,000
- Class year 2023: bonus $30,000, special bonus $10,000
- Class year 2022: bonus $57,500, special bonus $15,000
- Class year 2021: bonus $75,000, special bonus $20,000
- Class year 2020: bonus $90,000, special bonus $25,000
- Class year 2019: bonus $105,000, special bonus $25,000
- Class year 2018 and senior: bonus $115,000, special bonus $25,000
In addition to the 2025 bonuses, Karp said some staff could expect “discretionary bonuses” in early 2026 for “outsized contributions to the firm over the past year.”
Pallas Partners
Senior associates and counsel at Pallas Partners received bonuses of up to $232,000 this year, exceeding the amounts set by the Cravath Scale, the firm told Business Insider.
Pallas, a leading boutique global litigation firm, said the bonuses recognize “the extraordinary commitment that the associates and counsel bring to the firm.”
“Pallas’s lawyers receive much more hands-on trial experience than their Big Law counterparts, and as such, their compensation reflects that high-level work and commitment,” Pallas said.
Davis Polk & Wardwell
The Big Law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell paid bonuses of up to $140,000 to its junior attorneys, a company rep told Business Insider.
Davis Polk, headquartered in New York, ranks among the top ten Big Law firms in the US. The bonuses awarded by the firm are in line with the industry standard Cravath scale.
Elsberg, Baker & Maruri
Elsberg, Baker & Mauri, an elite commercial trial, litigation, and arbitration firm headquartered in New York, told Business Insider that it paid its associates bonuses of up to $226,250 in 2025.
“We are pleased to have paid bonuses that were 175% of the big law market to our stellar associates, who helped achieve great results for our clients in 2025,” Rollo Baker, a founding partner of the firm, told Business Insider.
Katten Muchin Rosenman
Katten Muchin Rosenman, a large, full-service law firm, has offered year-end bonuses of up to $172,500 to its top associates, contingent on the number of bonus hours they worked, the firm confirmed to Business Insider.
The firm, headquartered in Chicago, also offers additional discretionary “superstar bonuses” to select associates.
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