Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell announced last week it is bumping up starting salaries for first-year associates next year to $160,000 in a bid to compete with the Philadelphia and out-of-town national law firms that have been flexing their muscles in Wilmington lately.
Rodger D. Smith II, the Delaware firm’s managing partner, said Morris Nichols’ market evaluation prompted the firm to raise the associates’ starting pay from $145,000. He said the move brings Morris Nichols more in line with Philadelphia and New York firms, which have historically been able to offer higher salaries than the homegrown Delaware firms.
