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The latest data from BCG Attorney Search has confirmed what many attorneys already know: elite U.S. law firms are setting new records in compensation. From first-year associates to senior partners, pay packages continue to climb, solidifying these firms as the most lucrative destinations in BigLaw.
Learn more from this report: The Highest-Paying Law Firms in the United States
💼 Associates: The Cravath Scale Sets the Standard
- First-year associates now start at $225,000 in base salary.
- Pay steadily rises, reaching $435,000 by the eighth year.
- Annual bonuses add another $20,000 to $115,000, with special bonuses boosting total senior associate pay to nearly $575,000.
🌟 Top Firms for Associate Pay
- Kirkland & Ellis, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, and Quinn Emanuel top the list with associate compensation around $575,000.
- Skadden Arps and Davis Polk follow at $560,000, while Wachtell, Sullivan & Cromwell, Latham & Watkins, Paul Weiss, and Cleary Gottlieb hover near $550,000.
🏆 Partners: Unmatched Earnings Power
- Kirkland & Ellis leads with an average of $9.25 million in profits per equity partner.
- Wachtell Lipton follows closely at $9.04 million.
- Other powerhouse firms—including Quinn Emanuel, Sullivan & Cromwell, Skadden Arps, Latham, Davis Polk, Cravath, Cleary Gottlieb, and Paul Weiss—report partner earnings between $3.7 million and $5.4 million.
🔑 Why These Firms Stand Out
- Highly selective hiring from top law schools (T14), with preference for law review and federal clerkships.
- Heavy focus on high-stakes practice areas like M&A, private equity, litigation, and global transactions.
- Rigorous billable hour demands matched with market-leading rewards.
Learn more from this report: The Highest-Paying Law Firms in the United States
💡 For aspiring lawyers and seasoned associates alike, these firms represent the pinnacle of both prestige and financial reward in today’s legal market.
