Elite Law Firm Wows Associates With Summer Bonuses

In late May, we wondered whether summer bonuses for associates would make an appearance given how well Biglaw had done in 2023. Ask, and you shall receive, because here they are!

Prominent California boutique firm Hueston Hennigan has announced that it will be awarding associates and counsel with summer bonuses ranging from $10,000 to $25,000, regardless of class year. “The amounts are meant to specially reward those who, because of case requirements, have been putting in disproportionate time,” managing partner Moez Kaba said in an email announcing the bonuses.

Attorneys at the firm must be on track to bill at least 2,000 hours to be eligible to receive a bonus, and like at most firms, more hours equals more money. As noted by Bloomberg Law, those on track for 2,400 hours will receive a $20,000 bonus, while those on track to hit 2,700 hours will receive a $25,000 bonus.

Attorneys at the firm will receive their summer bonuses in July.

Hueston Hennigan is the first major firm we know of that has announced summer bonuses. What does this mean for the rest of the Biglaw and boutique firms that are always so eager to match the compensation offered by market leaders? Should we be expecting a round of bonus announcements sometime soon? All we know is that it’s time for associates to cross their fingers and hope for a special summer surprise in the form of cold, hard cash.

Congratulations to everyone at Hueston Hennigan!

Remember everyone, we depend on your tips to stay on top of this stuff. So when your firm matches, please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Summer Bonuses”). 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.

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California Boutique Hueston Hennigan Hands Out Summer Bonuses [Bloomberg Law]

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at 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 X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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