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 firms including McDermott, Quinn Emanuel, Katten, Susman Godfrey, Wilkinson Stekloff, Desmarais, Kellogg Hansen, Warren and Yetter Coleman moving or matching.
Legal Futures reports that the Professional Practices Alliance sees AI and private equity reshaping partner pay by challenging traditional input-based metrics.
Non-Billable reports that Milbank's US scale is expected to flow through London, McDermott has matched, and Quinn Emanuel has lifted London NQ pay to £189,000.
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.
Clifford Chance is formally introducing a non-equity "local partner" tier across the firm and ramping up its use firmwide, as managing partner Charles Adams spearheads a drive to nearly double the firm's profit per equity partner over the next five years.
On June 2, 2026, Milbank raised associate base salaries by $10,000 for first-through-fourth-year associates and $20,000 for fifth-through-eighth-year associates, effective July 1.
Macrae's Q1 2026 partner movement data shows New York posted 186 partner moves among Am Law 100 and top-50 UK firms — its strongest opening quarter in three years — led by a near-doubling of Investment Management & Funds activity.
Attorney at Work argues that origination-credit rules can punish client handoffs and undermine succession by keeping economic rewards tied to the partner who originally brought in the relationship.
Aon’s 2026 survey of mostly Am Law 100 firms shows only 45% require non-equity partners to pay the full cost of medical coverage, while 41% subsidize premiums at the same level as non-partner lawyers; just over half align non-equity partners with equity partners in defined-contribution plans.
LAWCLERK frames the 2026 legal talent shortage around midsize firms that face tight legal unemployment, Big Law salary pressure and slow lateral-hiring timelines.
Passle’s report says only 19% of firms strongly agree they are effective at cross-selling, while 55% cite lack of visibility into colleagues’ expertise as the top collaboration barrier.
Above the Law reports that A&O Shearman has discussed a nonequity partner tier, while noting that only 10 Am Law 100 firms still maintain a single partnership tier.
Passle’s Collaboration Gap release says 58% of firms rely on pricing as their primary revenue driver, while 54% say pricing is the leading cause of client churn.
Attorney at Work’s partner-compensation piece argues that many firms pay partners to do the opposite of what succession requires by rewarding relationship hoarding over client handoff.
Above the Law reported that McDermott Will & Schulte, newly created from McDermott Will & Emery and Schulte Roth & Zabel, separated from a small number of associates as it aligned with shifting client needs.
The advisory says 100% of large firms expect to increase GenAI investment over the next two years, while 35% expect GenAI to affect billable-hour models by 2027 and 69% by 2035.
Above the Law reports that Freshfields introduced a nonequity partnership tier and stretched lockstep to reward higher earners, following similar structural moves across elite firms.
The State of the US Legal Market’s AI warning matters because the profession still depends heavily on hourly economics and leveraged training pathways.
Thomson Reuters Institute and Citi Hildebrandt both point toward rising cost pressure and the need to manage technology investment, leverage and talent with greater discipline.
Thomson Reuters Institute and Citi Hildebrandt both point toward rising cost pressure and the need to manage technology investment, leverage and talent with greater discipline.
The State of the US Legal Market’s AI warning matters because the profession still depends heavily on hourly economics and leveraged training pathways.