There were ample questions about what would happen to compensation for top in-house corporate lawyers during the pandemic.

In New Jersey, federal securities filings indicate that pay for these general counsel and chief legal officers generally stagnated or took a step back in 2020. But given the upheaval that many sectors have experienced during COVID-19, it might be fairer to say pay remained steady.

In either case it mirrors the national trend of flattening GC pay during the pandemic.

At large, publicly traded companies based in the state, the average salary for general counsel declined about 3%, to $487,185 from $502,007. Median salary is $450,000, which is a 4.4% decrease from last year. It's the first salary flattening since 2018; during most other periods, GC salary compensation in New Jersey has climbed steadily, if somewhat incrementally.