![A Chart of the Top Paying Law Firms of 2015 A Chart of the Top Paying Law Firms of 2015](https://www.lawcrossing.com/images/articleimages/Here-are-the-top-paying-law-firms-of-2015.jpg)
Nevertheless, this chart, listing the top paying law firms of 2015, based on 2013 figures, may clue you in on where you should be looking to work.
Of course, any green JD straddled with six figures of debt would be eager to work for any of these fine establishments, but with $160,000 as a Biglaw average, it pays to consider who is offering more, how the second year compares to the first and so forth.
For instance Bickel & Brewer paying $185,000 to first years is a big deal. Ditto Boies Schiller & Flexner at $174,000, and Desmaris LLP ranging from $160,000 to $180,000.
As far as atmosphere and so forth, keep in mind that Fortune has often chosen four firms in particular as part of their top 100: Alston & Bird were at No. 24 in 2012, Bingham McCutchen at No. 30, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz at No. 54, and Perkins Coie at No. 58.
We would naturally assume there would have to be some correspondence between the quality of the law firm and the quantity of the pay – any faith in capitalism would suggest a big firm can't survive by being substandard – so a bare consideration of these metrics gives an adequate cursory glance at where the industry is at, and where you can be at within it.
Top Law Firm Salaries: Law Firm Salaries 2015
Firm | Required Billable Hours and Firm Target | 2013 Average Hours Billed Per Associate | 1st year salary | 2nd year salary |
Akin Gump | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Allen & Overy | 2,000 target | 1,353 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Allen Matkins | 1,950 required (1,850 first years) | 1,834 | $145,000 | $170,000 |
Alston & Bird | 1,900 target | U | $135,000- $160,000 | $140,000 -$170,000 |
Axinn.Veltrop & Harkrider | 1,800 target | 1,850 | $150,000- $160,000 | $155,000- $170,000 |
Baker Botts | 2,000 | U | $160,000 | $180,000 |
Baker & McKenzie | 2,000 required | U | $130,000- $160,000 | Varies |
Bingham McCutchen | 1,900 required | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Bracewell & Giuliani | 2,000 target (also 1,800 option) | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Brown Rudnick | 1,900 target | U | $160,000 | $165,000- $170,000 |
Cadwalader | No requirement | 1,712 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Cahill | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Chadbourne | 1,900 required | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Choate | 1,900 required | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Cleary | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Clifford Chance | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Cooley | 1,900 target | 1,907 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Cravath | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Crowell & Moring | 1,900 required | 1,715 | $160,000 | Varies |
Curtis Mallet | 2,000 target | 1,160 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Davis Polk | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Debevoise | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Dechert | 1,950 required | U | $145,000- $160,000 | $152,500- $170,000 |
DLA Piper | 2,000 target (second years and above) | 1,762 | $145,000- $160,000 | Varies |
Duane Morris | 1,950 target | U | $125,000- $145,000 | Not lockstep |
Dykema | 1,950 required | U | $115,000- $145,000 | Not lockstep |
Epstein Becker & Green | 1,950 target | 1,768 | $130,000 | Not lockstep |
Finnegan | 2,000 required | 1,684 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Fish & Richardson | 1,900 required | 2,017 | $160,000 | $175,000 |
Fitzpatrick | 1,600 required, 2,160 for bonus | U | $160,000 | Varies |
Foley & Lardner | 1,850 required | 1,837 | $110,000- $160,000 | $115,000- $165,000 |
Fox Rothschild | 1,850 required (1,900 for litigation) | 1,839 | $110,000- $135,000 | Not lockstep |
Freshfields | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Fried Frank | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Gibbons | 1,980 required | 1,743 | U | $140,000 |
Gibson Dunn | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Goodwin Procter | 1,950 target | 2,021 (includes pro bono) | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Hangley | No requirement | U | $125,000 | Varies |
Haynes and Boone | No requirement | 1,806 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Hogan Lovells | 1,800 - 2.000 required | U | $160,000 (in most cities) | $170,000 (in most cities) |
Holland & Knight | 1,900 target | U | $145,000 (but locations vary) | $150,000- $185,000 |
Hunton & Williams | 2,000 target | 1,892 | $145,000- $160,000 | U |
Irell & Manella | 2,000 target | 1,950 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Jackson Walker | 1,950 target | U | $160,000 | $165,000 |
Jenner & Block | 2,100 required | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Jones Day | No requirement | U | $135,000- $160,000 | Varies |
K&L Gates | 1,950 target | U | $115,000- $160,000 | Varies |
Kasowitz | No requirement | u | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Katten Muchin | 2,000 required | u | $130,000- $160,000 | $135,000- $170,000 |
Kaye Scholer | 1,800 target | 1,667 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
King & Spalding | 2,050 target | 1,896 | $135,000- $160,000 | $140,000 -$170,000 |
Kirkland & Ellis | No requirement | U | $160,000 | Varies |
Kramer Levin | 2,000 target | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Latham & Watkins | 1,900 required | u | $160,000 | Varies |
Linklaters | 2,200 target | u | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Mayer Brown | 2,100 target | u | $160,000 | $170,000 |
McGuireWoods | 1,950 required | 1,790 | $115,000- $150,000 | Not lockstep |
McKenna Long & Aldridge | 1,900 required | 1,698 | $135,000- $160,000 | Merit-based |
Milbank | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Morgan Lewis | No requirement | U | $145,000- $160,000 | $150,000- $170,000 |
MoFo | U | U | $160,000 | Varies |
Munger | No requirement | 1,984 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Nixon Peabody | 1,850 target | 1,672 | $145,000 | Merit-based |
Nutter | 1,900 required | 1,632 | $145,000 | Not lockstep |
O'Melveny & Myers | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Orrick | No requirement (1,950 encouraged) | 1,769 | $145,000- $160,000 | $155,000- $170,000 |
Patterson Belknap | 2,100 target (includes 250 nonbillable) | 1,850 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Patton Boggs | 1,650- 1,950 required | 2,183 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Paul, Weiss | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Pepper Hamilton | 1,940 target | 1,747 | $140,000- $160,000 | Varies |
Perkins Coie | 1,800 - 1,950 | 1,997 | $100,000- $160,000 | $105,000- $170,000 |
Pillsbury | 1,950 required | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Proskauer | No requirement | U | $110,000- $160,000 | $120,000- $170,000 |
Quinn Emanuel | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Reed Smith | 1,900 required | 1,887 | $125,000- $145,000 | $130,000- $155,000 |
Ropes & Gray | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Schiff Hardin | 2,000 required | 1,877 | $160,000 | Tier-based |
Sedgwick | 1,950 required | U | U - varies per office | U - varies per office |
Seward & Kissel | 2,000 target | 1,631 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Shearman & Sterling | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Sheppard Mullin | 1,950 required | 1,813 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Sidley Austin | U | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Simpson Thacher | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Skadden | No requirement | U | S 160,000 | $170,000 |
Snell & Wilmer | 2,000 target | 1,764 | $115,000- $160,000 | Varies |
Squire Sanders | 1,950 required | 1,711 | $120,000- $150,000 | Varies |
Strasburger & Price | 1,920 required | 1,722 | $130,000 | Varies |
Stroock | 2,000 target (includes 200 nonbillable) | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Sullivan & Cromwell | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Venable | 1,900 required | U | $150,000 | Varies |
Vinson & Elkins | 2,000 target | 1,820 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Waller | 1,800 required | 1,738 | $110,000 | $120,000 |
Weil | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
White & Case | 2,000 target | U | $155,000- $160,000 | $160,000 -$170,000 |
Wiley Rein | 1,800 - 1,950 required | 1,870 | $135,000- $160,000 | $140,000- $170,000 |
Willkie Farr & Gallagher | No requirement | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
WilmerHale | 2,000 required | 1,757 | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Wiltshire & Grannis | No requirement | 1,530 | $167,850 | $173,240 |
Winston & Strawn | 2,000 target | U | $160,000 | $170,000 |
Top Law Firm Salaries: Pro Bono Information
Firm | Hours of Pro Bono That Apply To Your Billable | Average no. of pro bono hours per attorney in 2013 | ProBono hours of entire firm (all offices) |
Akin Gump | Unlimited | 89 | 63,445 |
Allen & Overy | 50 | 19 | 3,460 |
Allen Matkins | 50 | 11 | 1,938 |
Alston & Bird | 100 | 69 | 56,584 |
Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider | 100 (More in special circumstances) | 47 | 2,640 |
Baker Botts | Unlimited | 43 | 26,601 |
Baker & McKenzie | 60-100 | 36 | 24,310 |
Bingham McCutchen | 100 | 74 | 53,170 |
Bracewell & Giuliani | 100 | U | 12,302 |
Brown Rudnick | Unlimited, with approval | 44 | 8,412 |
Cadwalader | U | 29 | 11,512 |
Cahill | Unlimited | 34.5 | 12,204 |
Chadbourne | 100 | 61 | 15,338 |
Choate | Unlimited | 40.7 | 6,427 |
Cleary | Unlimited | 76.3 | 52,106 |
Clifford Chance | Unlimited | U (50 minimum expected) | U |
Cooley | Unlimited | 46.47 | 30,184 |
Cravath | U | 62 | 25,318 |
Crowell & Moring | 50 (rest credited for bonus) | 72 | 35,229 |
Curtis Mallet | Unlimited | 45 | 7.279 |
Davis Polk | Unlimited | 41 | 28,868 |
Debevoise | Unlimited | 85.8 | 42,728 |
Dechert | Unlimited (approval needed over 200) | 103.3 | 63,128 |
DLA Piper | 100 (400 on major matters) | 81 | 114,300 |
Duane Morris | 100 | 28.3 | 18,180 |
Dykema | 40 (more if approved) | 29 | 10,386 |
Epstein Becker & Green | 100 | 34.2 | 4,100 |
Finnegan | 80 to meet 2,000 target, all count towards bonus | 83.1 | 19,547 |
Fish & Richardson | 200 (more with approval) | 40.7 | 13,860 |
Fitzpatrick | Unlimited | 26.5 | 4,391 |
Foley & Lardner | 100 | 59 | 50,172 |
Fox Rothschild | 50 (more with approval) | 12.5 | 7,370 |
Freshfields | Unlimited | 53.6 | 8,583 |
Fried Frank | 300 (more with approval) | 87.77 | 36,951 |
Gibbons | 50 | 72 | 16,475 |
Gibson Dunn | Unlimited | 112.2 | 116,082 |
Goodwin Procter | Unlimited | 62 | 49,714 |
Hangley | 0 | U (50 minimum expected) | U |
Haynes and Boone | 100 (more with approval) | 22.2 | 11,169 |
Hogan Lovells | 100 (once billable target met) | 85 | 82,369 |
Holland & Knight | Unlimited (over 100 needs approval) | 65 | 67,892 |
Hunton & Williams | 50 (plus 25 approved disaster relief) | 67 | 44,908 |
Irell & Manella | Unlimited | 86 | 15,721 |
Jackson Walker | With approval | 49 | 10,120 |
Jenner & Block | Unlimited | 175.2 | 79,720 |
Jones Day | Unlimited | U | 111,531 |
K&L Gates | Unlimited | 30 | 40,596 |
Kasowitz | Unlimited | U | U |
Katten Muchin | 100 (more with approval) | 40 | 25,686 |
Kaye Scholer | 200 | 55 | 20,980 |
King & Spalding | 50-100 (more with approval) | 44 | 21,542 |
Kirkland & Ellis | Unlimited | 80.6 | 113,629 |
Kramer Levin | Unlimited | 69.2 | 22,159 |
Latham & Watkins | Unlimited | 93 | 138,553 |
Linklaters | Unlimited | 58 | 6,870 |
Mayer Brown | Unlimited | 54 | 43,785 |
McGuireWoods | 50 | 22 | 19,338 |
McKenna Long & Aldridge | 0 (but counts as part of non-billable time) | 29.33 | 18,747 |
Milbank | Unlimited | 85 | 37,838 |
Morgan Lewis | All | 51 | 64,702 |
MoFo | Unlimited | 94 | 79,421 |
Munger | Unlimited | 61.5 | 11,064 |
Nixon Peabody | 60 | 59 | 37,949 |
Nutter | Unlimited | 54.23 | 8,244 |
O'Melveny & Myers | Unlimited | 112 | 70,100 |
Orrick | Unlimited | 100.1 | 69,423 |
Patterson Belknap | 0 (but counts as part of non-billable time) | 136 | 27,680 |
Patton Boggs | 100-hour requirement; no limit | 76 | 44,107 |
Paul, Weiss | Unlimited | 68 | 54,471 |
Pepper Hamilton | Unlimited | 66 | 33,761 |
Perkins Coie | Unlimited | 62.7 | 54,555 |
Pillsbury | Unlimited | 50.3 | 28,127 |
Proskauer | Unlimited | 46.3 | 39,462 |
Quinn Emanuel | 100 | U | U |
Reed Smith | 120 hours; unlimited once billable hours met | 65.51 | 51,824 |
Ropes & Gray | Unlimited | 102 | 96,779 |
Schiff Hardin | 75 or more with approval | 64 | 16,296 |
Sedgwick | 25 | 8.1 | 2,820 |
Seward & Kissel | Discretionary | 36.5 | 6,780 |
Shearman & Sterling | Unlimited | 64 | 26,388 |
Sheppard Mullin | 100, unlimited in New York | U | U |
Sidley Austin | U | 70.3 | 117,029 |
Simpson Thacher | Unlimited | 62 | 50,870 |
Skadden | Unlimited | 70.7 | 140,043 |
Snell & Wilmer | Unlimited | 50.86 | 20,855 |
Squire Sanders | 100 | 29 | 13,673 |
Strasburger & Price | 30 | 6.12 | 1,476 |
Stroock | 200 | 52 | 15,249 |
Sullivan & Cromwell | Unlimited | 63.2 | 41,011 |
Venable | 50 | 41 | 24,342 |
Vinson & Elkins | Unlimited | 47 | 29,175 |
Waller | 0 | 23 | 3,896 |
Weil | Unlimited | 87 | 70,000 |
White & Case | 200 | 71 | 44,310 |
Wiley Rein | 50 | 45.14 | 12,504 |
Willkie Farr & Gallagher | Unlimited | 47.59 | 20,000 |
WilmerHale | Unlimited | 153 | 162,420 |
Wiltshire & Grannis | Unlimited | 50.1 | 1,048 |
Winston & Strawn | 50 | 80 | 64,833 |
U = undisclosed information