After months of speculation amid an uncertain economy, it looks like it’s going to be a hot bonus summer after all! First came boutique firm Vartabedian Hester & Haynes, followed by midsize firm Otterbourg, and last but certainly not least, Milbank. We wondered if any other firms would step up to match (or beat) the Biglaw firm, and the answer is a resounding yes.

Prominent California boutique firm Hueston Hennigan has announced that it will be awarding associates with summer bonuses ranging from $10,000 to $30,000, regardless of class year. This means that associates at the firm are eligible to receive bonuses that top any of the other summer bonus scales that have been announced. Staff at the firm will also be receiving bonuses.

Attorneys at the firm must be on track to bill at least 2,000 hours to be eligible to receive a bonus, and like at most firms, more hours equals more money. For example, those on track for 2,400 hours will receive a $20,000 bonus, while those on track to hit 2,700 hours will receive a $30,000 bonus.

Hueston Hennigan is the first major firm we know of to have announced summer bonuses in Milbank’s wake. What does this mean for the rest of the Biglaw, midsize, and boutique firms that are always so eager to match the compensation offered by market leaders? Should we be expecting another round of bonus announcements sometime soon? All we know is that it’s time for associates to cross their fingers and hope for a special summer surprise in the form of cold, hard cash.

Congratulations to everyone at Hueston Hennigan!

Remember everyone, we depend on your tips to stay on top of this stuff. So when your firm matches, please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Summer Bonuses”). Please include the memo if available. You can take a photo of the memo and send it via text or email if you don’t want to forward the original PDF or Word file.

And if you’d like to sign up for ATL’s Bonus Alerts (which is the alert list we’ll also use for salary announcements), please scroll down and enter your email address in the box below this post. If you previously signed up for the bonus alerts, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive an email notification within minutes of each bonus announcement that we publish.

Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

The post Elite Law Firm Wows Associates With Market-Beating Summer Bonuses appeared first on Above the Law.