The gap between the highest and lowest-paid partners is still expanding throughout the Am Law 200, according to the latest American Lawyer data, highlighting the ever-increasing demand in firms to differentiate pay between tiers of lawyers.

The median ratio between the highest and lowest-paid equity partner in both the Am Law 100 and Second Hundred firms rose gently in 2021, with both landing in the same place. In particular, median ratios for the 100 highest-grossing firms increased from 8.8-to-1 in 2020 to 9-to-1 in 2021, while the latter increased from 8-to-1 to roughly 9-to-1 as well, according to American Lawyer data taken from a survey of law firms each year.