Top in-house lawyers in the US have seen their overall remuneration remain largely static this year, despite the buoyant legal market, with bonuses dropping compared to 2005.

Legal heads at 277 leading US corporates on average raked in a total of $427,500 (£224,000) including bonuses – a climb of just half a percent on the previous year, according to research by Lexis Nexis and legal consultant Altman Weil.