At the top of the pay scale for partners at the richest law firms in the world sit a select few taking home $25 million or more in annual salary, an indication of the flexibility some firms have in rewarding high levels of performance.

By growing the pay ratio among the highest and lowest-paid partners, firms have sought to compete for rainmaking talent while making room for practitioners who don’t measure up to higher thresholds for equity partnership, according to law firm consultants and leaders.