Well, well, well — look who just slid into bonus season with their checkbook open. Dechert has officially matched the prevailing year-end and special bonus scale, ensuring associates can breathe for at least five minutes before remembering their hours are due today.
But Dechert didn’t stop at a simple match. Oh no. The firm also announced extra compensation for high billers, because nothing says “we value you” like handing out more money to the associates burning that midnight oil.
Associate bonuses, which will be paid before the end of January 2026, are on the below scale:
| 2025 U.S. Bonus Scale | ||
| Class Year | 2025 Year End Bonus | Special Bonus |
| 2024 | $20,000 | $6,000 |
| 2023 | $30,000 | $10,000 |
| 2022 | $57,500 | $15,000 |
| 2021 | $75,000 | $20,000 |
| 2020 | $90,000 | $25,000 |
| 2019 | $105,000 | $25,000 |
| 2018+ | $115,000 | $25,000 |
And here’s the high biller fine print:
As previously communicated, lawyers who recorded 2,200 extraordinary bonus hours are eligible to receive an additional 30% above the year-end bonus amount, and those who recorded 2,400 extraordinary bonus hours are eligible to receive an additional 40%. This extraordinary bonus is in addition to the amounts set forth above and aims to recognize and reward exceptional contributions.
Dechert matching Cravath (and Milbank on special bonuses) is another domino falling in a season that, so far, has been full of cautious optimism and strategic generosity. This will put pressure on peer firms to get their own announcements out before every associate in America starts drafting internal emails titled “please advise as to bonus timeline.”
Bonus season is officially in full swing.
And if you’re a high biller at Dechert?
That ka-ching you hear is your holiday spirit.
Read the full email on the next page.
So, is your firm matching *both* the year-end and special bonuses? Let Above the Law know! We depend on your tips to stay on top of important bonus updates, so when your firm matches (or if they fail to do so), please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Matches”). 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.
And if you’d like to sign up for ATL’s Bonus Alerts (which is the alert list we also use for salary announcements), please scroll down and enter your email address in the box below this post. If you previously signed up for the bonus alerts, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive an email notification within minutes of each bonus announcement that we publish. Thanks for all of your help!
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.
The post Another Biglaw Bonus Match — And Extra Cash For The Associates Keeping The Lights On appeared first on Above the Law.