Look Who's the Fat Cat Associate in the Jones Day Gender Bias Suit
While his academic pedigree is solid, it does not evince superstardom.
June 22, 2018 at 04:38 PM
4 minute read
Of the many alleged indignities described in Wendy Moore's complaint in her gender discrimination lawsuit against Jones Day, this one popped up at me like a crazy jack-in-the-box: A sixth year associate—male—took home $810,000—about the same amount that Moore made as an eighth-year partner at the firm.
Holy Toledo! (Or should I say Cleveland?) That's a hell of a lot of money for an associate with only a half-dozen years under his belt. That would be an amazing sum for a 10th year associate, even a junior partner at most firms. (At Cravath, the top associate base salary is $340,000.)
So who is this super-awesome Jones Day associate who's worth this kind of dough? Is he the wunderkind of Big Law? And what voodoo did he perform to justify these sky-high earnings?
His awesomeness is James Burnham, a rising star of the Trump administration who now serves as a special assistant and senior associate counsel to the president. A 2009 graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas. He also clerked for Alex Kozinski, the brilliant but controversial former judge of the Ninth Circuit who retired in December amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
I know what you're thinking: Burnham must have clerked for the U.S. Supreme Court after his Kozinski stint, then landed at Jones Day with a big fat $300,000-plus bonus—which would explain his inflated earnings.
Wrong!
While his academic pedigree is solid, it does not evince superstardom. Still, he did work on some very high-profile matters, like representing former Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia in his corruption case and Mitt Romney's presidential campaign committee.
Much more intriguing about Burnham is what's not on his official resume.
Which brings me back to Moore's complaint. Remember how she alleges that she was paid unfairly at Jones Day because the firm “operates as a fraternity” and that “male senior partners mentor male associates and assist them in climbing the ranks to partnership”?
Burnham arguably exemplifies that exclusive male order. He married right into it: In 2010, he wedded a law school classmate whose father, Robert Mittelstaedt, was the head of Jones Day's San Francisco office. Mittelstaedt is now of counsel. (The things you learn from The New York Times' wedding archives!)
Is Burnham the Jared Kushner of Jones Day? Did his marriage to the daughter of a muckety-muck at the firm pave his career path, setting him up with powerful mentors like White House counsel Don McGahn (and Jones Day alum), flashy assignments, that $810,000 payday and a possible judgeship on the coveted Ninth Circuit (Above the Law's David thinks he's a leading contender)? Who knows?
I mean, it could be a total coincidence that he's the golden boy of the firm. Maybe he does walk on water.
But let's go back to the big question: What exactly did Burnham do to deserve the $810,000? It's still unclear. (We've asked for comments from Burnham and Jones Day but have not heard back.)
And what does David Sanford, Moore's lawyer, think of Burnham's family connections? Do they reaffirm Jones Day's fraternity model?
Interestingly, Sanford says he didn't know about Burnham's personal connection at Jones Day until I told him. But Sanford says in an email that he's not surprised, adding, “There is a much bigger story to be told, and it will be told.”
That sounds a bit ominous.
Anyway, you connect the dots.
Contact Vivia Chen at [email protected]. On Twitter: @lawcareerist
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllMore Big Law Firms Rush to Match Associate Bonuses, While Some Offer Potential for Even More
Partner Pay Transparency Is Eroding, Even if 'Black Box' Systems Haven't Caught On
6 minute readFrom Guaranteed Comp to Ethics Screens, How Big Law Navigates the Revolving Door
7 minute readTrending Stories
- 1Gibson Dunn Sued By Crypto Client After Lateral Hire Causes Conflict of Interest
- 2Trump's Solicitor General Expected to 'Flip' Prelogar's Positions at Supreme Court
- 3Pharmacy Lawyers See Promise in NY Regulator's Curbs on PBM Industry
- 4Outgoing USPTO Director Kathi Vidal: ‘We All Want the Country to Be in a Better Place’
- 5Supreme Court Will Review Constitutionality Of FCC's Universal Service Fund
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250