"Special” bonuses in the last month pushed up total associate compensation at many Am Law 50 firms, but it further complicated the pay arrangements for another tier of lawyers in firms: counsel.

Some law firms gave out “special bonuses” to counsel, while others’ bonus memos didn’t mention whether counsel would be receiving the extra pay. Many firms, in memos, left out any announcements about either year-end or special bonuses to counsel or said they would be “communicated” separately to the lawyer. (Milbank, which kicked off “special bonuses” in 2024, gave them to special counsel, but said year-end bonuses for counsel would be communicated directly with them.)