Results from our annual Managing Partner Survey can sometimes feel contradictory—reports of strong growth and an optimistic outlook, while costs were up and revenues were down?—but overall, if 2024 felt like a tough year for your firm, you weren't alone.

The past year has seen a surge in revenue for top-tier Big Law firms, with some seeing double-digit profit growth, and surging demand along with significant billing rate hikes. The good times at the top have also led to an accelerating battle for top talent, with growing price tags and shifting tactics (think adding nonequity tiers, stretching the pay spread, or switching to "black box" comp models).