In New York and London, lawyers’ bonuses are a shadow of what they were. But overseas attorneys in Hong Kong are still getting a different kind of sweetener: the expat package. Typified by allowances for personal housing, children’s tuition, and club memberships, the perk is a remnant of a time when the city was considered a far-flung “hardship post.”
That perception is clearly outdated. Modern Hong Kong has high-quality housing, efficient transport, and a Starbucks on every corner. But for lawyers at many American firms, the expat package is alive and well. A report published by legal recruitment firm Taylor Root in June 2011 says that U.S. associates can expect a package of between $40,000 and $80,000 per year.
