Compensation & Talent Economics
Milbank's $235K scale turns into a compensation cascade
Above the Law's running compensation scorecard shows Milbank as the June 2 first mover at $235,000 for the class of 2026/2025 and $455,000 for the class of 2018, with McDermott, Hueston Hennigan, Quinn Emanuel, Katten, Groom, AZA, Susman Godfrey, Wilkinson Stekloff, Seward & Kissel, Desmarais and Kellogg Hansen among firms moving or matching.
BY ECONOMICS DESK · JUNE 11, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
Above the Law's running compensation scorecard shows Milbank as the June 2 first mover at $235,000 for the class of 2026/2025 and $455,000 for the class of 2018, with McDermott, Hueston Hennigan, Quinn Emanuel, Katten, Groom, AZA, Susman Godfrey, Wilkinson Stekloff, Seward & Kissel, Desmarais and Kellogg Hansen among firms moving or matching. Several boutiques are layering bonuses, with Kellogg Hansen listing bonuses from $20,000 to $75,000. The new scale is already broader than a single BigLaw move. Firms outside the elite compensation lane must now decide whether to match, differentiate through culture and trajectory, or accept higher lateral and retention risk.