Pennsylvania’s Am Law 100 firms are feeling the pressure to compete with the emerging standard for compensating associates after announcements earlier this month by Milbank and Davis Polk & Wardwell created a new market standard.

Firms with less hefty profit margins have expressed concerns over their ability to stay competitive with an emerging industry standard that has already surpassed $200,000 as a starting salary, and the implications matching that standard could have on associate well-being.