Quote of the Day
Editor’s note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day.
“It’s a bit of a power play. The leading 25 law firms are generating more revenue than ever before, and they’re far surpassing the next 25, and then the next 25 after that—it’s not even close.”
— Sean Burke, founder of legal recruiting firm Whistler Partners, in remarks provided to Bloomberg Law, regarding Milbank’s decision to increase associate salaries to a scale between $235,000 and $455,000. Although the largest and most profitable firms have historically moved in unison on associate pay, this year’s compensation battles may be revealing a growing gap between the industry’s elite and the rest. Several firms have already followed Milbank’s lead, but many others are still deciding if they can afford to keep up.
Staci Zaretsky serves as the managing editor of Above the Law, where she has been employed since 2011. She welcomes your input, so feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or feedback. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
Topics:
2026 Salary Increase
Biglaw
Bonus News Alerts
Bonuses
Money
Quote of the Day
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