Since we broke the news of the market bonus scale for associates at large law firms in the United States — a trend that was started by Cravath on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, and included Milbank’s special summer bonuses — firms are falling in line to match the scale. When will your firm announce its bonuses?
Today, for your viewing pleasure, we unveil a table of all of the firms that have already matched the bonus scale, the date those matches were made, the minimum hours required to receive bonuses (if available), and the date bonuses will be paid. We will be updating this table on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times, as news on bonuses unfolds. If you see any information here that is incorrect or needs clarification, let us know.
We are covering this trend extensively, so please drop us a line — text (646-820-8477) or email (subject line: “[Firm Name] Matches”) — when you know of a firm making a compensation move. 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. Sources are kept confidential.
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| Firm | Date Matched | Minimum Hours | Payout Date |
| Cravath Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018: $115K / $25K |
November 18, 2025 | None | December 12, 2025 |
| Paul Hastings Class of 2024: $20K / $6K Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 18, 2025 | 2000 hours | Undisclosed |
| Cadwalader Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2017: $115K / $25K |
November 18, 2054 | Additional bonuses “equal to 120% of [market bonuses]” for high billers with 2200 hours or more | By or before end of February 2026 |
| Fried Frank Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 19, 2025 | 1850 hours for special bonus (including billable, pro bono, qualified nonbillable, and firm matter hours); associates eligible for “premium” bonus ranging from $3K to $34.5K for 2200 hours or 2450 hours | On or before December 31, 2025 |
| McDermott Will & Schulte Class of 2025: $0 / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 19, 2025 | 2000 hours (merit bonuses available for eligible associates; “two-thirds” of legacy MWE associates will see bonuses above market) | December 26, 2025 (legacy MWE) / January 16, 2026 (legacy SRZ) |
| Dechert Class of 2024: $20K / $6K Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 19, 2025 | 1950 hours (client billable, pro bono, firm as client, maximum of 50 community hours); associates who exceeded hours expectations eligible to receive an “extraordinary” bonus (i.e., 2200 hours = addt’l 30%; 2400+ hours = addt’l 40%) | By or before end of January 2026 |
| Wilkinson Stekloff Class of 2025: $22.5K / $0 spring bonus Class of 2017+: $172.5K / $60K spring bonus |
November 19, 2025 | None | By December 15, 2025 |
| Ropes & Gray Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2017+: $130K / $25K |
November 20, 2024 | 1900 creditable hours (bonuses “may be increased up to 150% of the year-end bonus amounts” for those who have billed “materially more” than 1900 hours) | Undisclosed |
| Hogan Lovells Class of 2024: $20K / $6K Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 20, 2025 | 2000 hours; additional bonuses available include incremental hours-based bonuses, discretionary bonuses, and business-generation bonuses | End of December 2025 |
| Vartabedian Hester & Haynes Class of 2025: $21K (total bonus, including $5K summer bonus) Class of 2018: $140K (total bonus, including $5K summer bonus) |
November 20, 2025 | 1800 hours | On or before December 31, 2025 |
| Paul Weiss Class of 2025: $15K / $6K Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 21, 2025 | None (additional discretionary bonuses for “outsized contributions”) | December 22, 2025; discretionary bonuses to be paid in early 2026 |
| Proskauer Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2017: $115K / $25K |
November 21, 2025 | 2000 hours | On or before December 24, 2025 |
| Baker Botts Class of 2024: $20K / $6K Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 21, 2025 | 2000 hours (1800 client billable hours and 200 non-client billable hours, including pro bono, business development, etc.); “enhanced” bonuses available for “exceptional” performance | Undisclosed |
| Davis Polk Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 21, 2025 | None | December 30, 2025 |
| White & Case Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018: $115K / $25K |
November 21, 2025 | Eligibility criteria detailed in separate memo | February 13, 2026 |
| Debevoise Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 21, 2025 | None | Undisclosed |
| Skadden Class of 2025: $15K / $6K Class of 2018+: $115K or $125K / $25K |
November 21, 2025 | 1800 “productive hours” (including unlimited pro bono time and up to 150 hours of productive non-billable work) | December 15, 2025 |
| Cleary Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 21, 2025 | None | December 19, 2025 |
| A&O Shearman Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 21, 2025 | 2000 hours (including a minimum of 25 pro bono hours and up to 100 investment hours (e.g., DEI/mental health; personal development/training; community involvement; management & talent development; knowledge development; origination, client relationships, business development; and market innovation group)); associates eligible for an “enhanced year-end bonus” if they “significantly exceed” the firm’s hourly requirements | Undisclosed |
| Covington Class of 2025: $15K / $6K Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 21, 2025 | 2000 hours | January 2026 |
| Vinson & Elkins Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 24, 2025 | Based on hours and good standing | On or about January 30, 2026 |
| Simpson Thacher Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018: $115K / $25K |
November 24, 2025 | Undisclosed | December 2025 |
| Milbank Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (paid 9/25) Class of 2017: $115K / $25K (paid 9/25) |
November 24, 2025 | None | December 31, 2025 |
| Weil Gotshal Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 25, 2025 | None | January 30, 2026 |
| Holwell Shuster Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018: $115K / $25K |
November 25, 2025 | None | On or before December 31, 2025 |
| Linklaters Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 26, 2025 | 1900 hours (including unlimited pro bono, up to 400 hours of marketing, and other work) | Undisclosed |
| Clifford Chance Class of 2025: $15K / $6K (prorated) Class of 2018+: $115K / $25K |
November 26, 2025 | None (based on overall performance, quality of work, contributions to firm, teamwork, and pro bono) | January 15, 2026 |
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.
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