SAN FRANCISCO — Some general counsel in Silicon Valley question the need for the recent wave of salary hikes for associates at leading California firms. If firms raise rates now that they’re paying associates more, these GCs say they’ll have to reconsider how they assign out legal work.
New York-based Cravath, Swaine & Moore announced a new pay scale for associates earlier this month. First-year associates will get a base salary of $180,000, up from the longtime standard of $160,000. Eighth-year associates will get a $35,000 bump to $315,000.
