King & Spalding Delays Pay Controversy

Atlanta’s King & Spalding matched Alston & Bird when it announced it will pay salaries of $145,000 to new associates, a $15,000 increase. But it sidestepped controversy when it left a decision on pay hikes for more senior associates for another day.

More senior associates at Alston & Bird have complained they didn’t get a $15,000 raise. Seventh-year associates there make only $45,000 more than first-years, according to the Fulton County Daily Report. The salaries are the same at Hunton & Williams.

Legal recruiter Raffaele Murdocca predicted that King & Spalding would outpace Alston & Bird’s pay for more senior associates. He said the firm may decide simply to pay its senior associates more, try a merit-based system, or give bigger bonuses.