The New York firms fired the first shot at the tail end of January, hiking starting rates to $160K. Most California firms held the line in-state at $145K … until Orrick made its surprise move in May. Follow every twist of the saga in our Hot Topic roundup.
Most leading California firms have raised associate salaries to the $160,000 scale, as have most New York firms with offices here. But national firms with a big presence in California have been slow to react. For example, Bingham McCutchen; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; and Reed Smith have yet to make a move.
Big out-of-town firms with smaller California presences, such as Goodwin Procter and Ropes & Gray, recently matched in state.
