LA firms increase PPP in 2005; Gibson, Latham at $1.6m
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Date: February 5th, 2006 1:26 AM Author: lime deep headpube
How do these figures related to associates?
I know a high PPP is good for partners. But does that conversely mean that a high PPP is bad for associates?
I'm clueless.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#4998486) |
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Date: February 5th, 2006 1:30 AM Author: lime deep headpube
So a high PPP benefits both partners *and* associates in terms of compensation, is that correct?
But doesn't it also mean that the associates were billing more hours than their competetors (to get the PPP so high above the competition)?
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#4998507)
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Date: February 5th, 2006 1:32 AM Author: Purple sound barrier ceo
Yes.
Not necessarily. It could just mean the firm had a major windfall case that year.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#4998516) |
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Date: February 5th, 2006 1:31 AM Author: lime deep headpube
Is there a PPP ranking (for all firms, not just LA) that I can find online?
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#4998511)
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Date: February 5th, 2006 1:32 AM Author: stimulating address
If you have Westlaw, look up last year's AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 issues.
EDIT: Here's a cite: 8/2005 AMLAW 113
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#4998519) |
Date: February 5th, 2006 1:54 AM Author: tripping vibrant idiot
High PPP's aren't necessarily bad for associates and don't necessarily mean a firm is drilling its associates harder.
Some firms are managed better than others. Some firms have lazy old partners getting paid to do nothing. Or they'll have a bunch of high-paid managing partners who don't practice much law. A law firm is like any other business, and it can blow a ton of money due to bad decisions.
A high PPP firm is probably a good thing for associates. Business is stable. Partners doing well and have good work for you and aren't going to leave for another firm. Bonuses aren't likely to be in doubt.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#4998667) |
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Date: February 5th, 2006 2:07 AM Author: stimulating address
This makes sense. All other things being equal, happy partners are probably good for associates.
Obviously there's a limit to what you can do with any single statistic, but I wonder how you'd interpret revenue per lawyer numbers?
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#4998770) |
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Date: February 5th, 2006 2:14 AM Author: tripping vibrant idiot
Whatever statistic you're looking at, your "happy partners are probably good for associates" is going to hold true.
A firm that is more profitable is probably one with good business practices, not one that squeezes a few more hours out of its associates.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#4998823) |
Date: February 5th, 2006 12:35 PM Author: excitant marketing idea
These PPP numbers confuse me. The most common chart I've seen is: http://www.law.com/special/professionals/amlaw/amlaw200/amlaw200_ppp.html
That chart lists a lot of CA firms as having quite low PPP's. For example, Irell is $615,000, Munger is $660,000, and Orrick is $660,000.
What gives? What am I missing?
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#5000833) |
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Date: February 5th, 2006 1:00 PM Author: stimulating address
Yeah, AmLaw has its annual A-list: http://www.law.com/jsp/tal/PubArticleTAL.jsp?id=1125047117498
Not very popular on this board, because it includes pro bono and diversity scores. Even if you did think those were important factors, the methodology is unclear and probably whacked.
I don't think this or any other ranking is really all that good. Really it just comes down to what kind of work you want to do and what kind of firm will be the best fit for you. Unfortunately it can be pretty hard to know either until well after you've had to make a choice.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#5001045) |
Date: February 5th, 2006 1:00 PM Author: Soul-stirring garrison kitty cat
Hazelrah: Seeing as you're unusually talented at searching greedy associates (which I am too dense to understand), have you seen anything about Wachtell numbers? Seems like if they want to keep their "better than everyone" compensation scheme, they'll have to bump up to $160,000 for first years (unless they want to rely entirely on bonuses for exceeding market). I guess the same holds true for Skadden too.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#5001041) |
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Date: February 5th, 2006 3:40 PM Author: tripping vibrant idiot
Isn't it more like $80/hour?
200,000-160,000 divided by 10 x 50
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#5002033) |
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Date: February 5th, 2006 3:58 PM Author: stimulating address
It's about right, and a little better, because I'd figure somebody at e.g. DPW was making ~$53/hr, and the post above puts Wachtell overtime pay at $80/hr, which is pretty good.
But yeah, the problem is the marginal value of free time usually gets extremely high as you get later and later into the day.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#5002153) |
Date: February 5th, 2006 1:03 PM Author: Thriller reading party
Law really does not pay as well as business. This is the very of the top and compared to successful finance/entrepreneurs, they don't earn a lot. I mean, obviously they earn an obscene amount. But considering that it's the very top of the earnings chart (excluding the like 2 plaintiff's attorneys who make zillions), the positions are freakin impossible to get, and they're crushing to have, the salaries are not that high.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#5001063) |
Date: February 6th, 2006 8:15 AM Author: stimulating address
Post-weekend bump.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#5007815) |
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Date: February 6th, 2006 11:19 AM Author: Mildly autistic violet therapy
that would be revenue per partner not profits. profits are whats left after the expenses are taken out. I am not sure if associate bonuses count as expenses - they probably do.
I think partners get to take home the profits unless tey reinvest it into some big captial expenditure.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#5008287) |
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Date: February 11th, 2006 2:01 AM Author: trip pink boiling water foreskin
Yeah, i think i've had a discussion on here with that guy before.
What do you make of this contention about LA firms? You seem to be the foremost authority on LA firm compensation.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#5054863) |
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Date: February 11th, 2006 12:46 PM Author: stimulating address
I would definitely like to see salaries go up. I'm not exactly excited about the prospect of being a 2nd year in LA and knowing a first-year in the NY office is making more in salary *and* bonus. But it remains to be seen how much influence the NY firms have in LA.
The only top NY firms in LA are SullCrom, Skadden, and Simpson. S&C and Simpson are both pretty small and probably hire less than 10 summers between them. I also don't think they take very many laterals. It's not clear to me that they overlap all that much with Munger/Irell/Quinn or GDC/OMM/LW in LA, unless you wanted to a specific kind of corp practice.
Skadden is a bigger player with a broader practice. But they've been at $140k and paying (close to) NY bonuses, with limited effect, although maybe the difference is big enough now to force LA firms to respond.
Milbank, White & Case, and Proskauer are in LA also, but I don't really know too much about these offices. Proskauer is possibly more of a contender, with their litigation/entertainment practice.
I think at the very least we'll see the LA firms match Kirkland's $10k across the board raise. A $15k disparity for 2nd years and higher will really increase dissatisfaction, if not lateralling. $10k might allow for some wiggle room with bonuses, although it's not like the LA firms (except maybe Irell) were really matching NY bonuses anyway.
I might be missing something here and there could be more pressure in LA than I've noticed. But I think if it does go to $145k, Silicon Valley will play a big part of it -- there are a few more NY firms there, and they seem to be expanding and grabbing market share from Wilson Sonsini and the local players. So we'll see what happens.
I think I'll start a Cali $145k raise vigil thread, heh.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=353408&forum_id=2#5056343) |
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