More top partners are earning over $40M, including bonuses
More BigLaw partners are advancing to top-tier earnings of $40 million or higher, which includes base pay bonuses of up to 40%, according to industry observers. (Photo by Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images)
More BigLaw partners are advancing to top-tier earnings of $40 million or higher, which includes base pay bonuses of up to 40%, according to industry observers.
Many law firms are contemplating adding or increasing bonus pools or reducing pay transparency to increase flexibility for growth, according to sources. The Am Law 100’s highest- to lowest-paid partners remained steady—from 12.3-to-1 in 2024 to 12-to-1 in 2025, according survey data compiled by coverage on Law.com.
The median pay increased from 9.1-to-1 up to 9.5-to-1, and both average and median numbers increased across the entire Am Law 200.
According to Blane Prescott, a consultant and a managing shareholder at MesaFive who counsels firms on compensation, “There’s more people than ever before earning those very high levels of income.”
Prescott added that increasing salaries include bonuses that can be hefty, noting that a 30% bonus is “not shocking.”
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