Houston-based litigation boutique Susman Godfrey announced associate bonuses Monday, with the median for each class ranging from $80,000 to $170,000—lower than last year, but still ahead of this year’s Big Law market rate, which tops out at $140,000 when combining special bonuses and year-end bonuses at the top-paying large firms.

The market-setting move for the 130-lawyer trial firm isn’t unexpected, as the firm has typically paid bonuses much larger than what Big Law associates get. But the market-topping bonuses in a year when COVID-19 has dramatically impacted trial settings is an indication of the strength of the nationally known litigation boutique, which also dealt this year with the July death of founder Stephen Susman, who contracted COVID-19 during his recovery from a severe cycling accident in April.