Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan associates who billed more than 50 hours per week this year will be handsomely rewarded for all that time, the firm has announced.

Like associates at Cravath Swaine & Moore, those at Quinn Emanuel who billed between 2,100 and 2,399 hours in 2018 will be paid bonuses starting at $15,000 (£12,000) for the 2017 class, up to $100,000 (£78,000) for the 2011 associates and above.

And those who billed 2,400 to 2,699 hours will get an extra $3,000 (£2,400) to $20,000 (£15,700) – a total of up to $120,000 (£94,000) for senior associates. 

But there's more. Associates who billed 2,700 or more hours in 2018 will get another boost of $2,250 (£1,750) to $15,000 (£12,000), for a total of up to $135,000 (£106,000) for senior associates. That requires an average of nearly 52 hours billed per week.

The amounts below are for 2,100-2,399 hours/2,400-2,699 hours/2,700+ hours.

• Class of 2018 – $15,000 pro-rated
• Class of 2017 – $15,000/$18,000/$20,250
• Class of 2016 – $25,000/$30,000/$33,750
• Class of 2015 – $50,000/$60,000/$67,500
• Class of 2014 – $65,000/$78,000/$87,750
• Class of 2013 – $80,000/$96,000/$108,000
• Class of 2012 – $90,000/$108,000/$121,500
• Class of 2011, 2010 – $100,000/$120,000/$135,000

Cravath announced its bonus scale in November, sticking to the amounts it had given in 2017. Since then, several firms have either matched or surpassed those amounts.

Selendy & Gay, a 30-lawyer spinoff firm launched less than a year ago by a group of former Quinn Emanuel lawyers, beat the Cravath scale by 50%, announcing bonuses of $22,500 to $135,000 for class of 2012 associates.

Litigation boutique Susman Godfrey announced median associate bonuses of $110,000 to $225,000. Other firms that have surpassed Cravath bonuses are New York's Kaplan Hecker & Fink, which announced a scale of $25,000 to $130,000, and Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz of Washington DC, which will pay up to $150,000 for its highest bonuses.