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Most in-house counsel who responded to Law360 Pulse's survey cited factors such as shaping business strategy and the absence of billable hours as motivations for joining corporate legal departments. Law360 Pulse spoke with in-house counsel and law firm associates about the pros and cons of their respective roles and the facets of their legal peers' positions that are, or are not, appealing.
Total compensation packages for in-house counsel at different levels of the typical corporate legal department can vary significantly. Find out how corporations are leveraging salaries, bonuses and other incentives to attract top talent.
The vast majority of in-house counsel at all levels received pay bonuses in 2024, while a smaller share — but still a majority — received long-term incentives, according to a new survey.
Trial boutique Wilkinson Stekloff LLP is exceeding the year-end associate bonus scale set by Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, announcing bonuses late Wednesday that are 150% of market.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP on Wednesday urged the Second Circuit to allow it to keep a $4 million advance payment retainer from the since-convicted former CEO of a bankrupt cybersecurity company, but the law firm conceded it should have clarified its rights after the government sought an asset freeze.
Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, McDermott Will & Schulte LLP and Dechert LLP are among the law firms following the lead of Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP on year-end associate bonuses this week, with at least five large firms matching the market leader within a day of Cravath's Tuesday announcement.
Law360 Pulse went beyond the numbers to examine how industry, law firm experience and education shape the pay of top-earning S&P 500 general counsel. Here's what we found.
While the pay packages for most legal leaders in the corporate space remains strong — especially because of hefty stock awards and bonuses — there are large gaps in compensation even among the top 10 earners in the U.S.
Find out which S&P 500 general counsel earns the most and how pay differs across industries. Explore every detail in our interactive compensation graphic.
The number of lateral moves for associates, counsel and partners seeking greener pastures is outpacing last year, which is both good and bad news for legal employers, according to law firm leaders and search firms.
A New York federal judge on Tuesday rejected Reed Smith LLP's latest effort to intervene on behalf of the purported former owners of international shipping company Eletson Holdings in Eletson's $102 million breach-of-contract litigation with rival Levona, saying the firm can't represent the holding company post-bankruptcy "by repeated incantation."
Multiple firms swiftly fell in line Tuesday evening just hours after Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP announced associate bonuses in line with those offered last year, continuing a long tradition of BigLaw firms following Cravath's lead on compensation.
Eighty-three percent of U.S. and Canadian associates receive a yearly annual review, but there is room for improvement in how law firms evaluate their attorneys' performance, according to a new study.
In an order that noted an attorney's remorse, a Connecticut federal judge sanctioned a solo practitioner $500 this week for submitting a brief packed with false, AI-generated case citations, finding the fake authorities wasted court resources, risked misleading a pro se litigant and undermined trust in the judicial system.
The primary factor determining whether a law firm associate receives a year-end bonus is not individual performance, firm performance, or firm citizenship. Instead, it is the number of billable hours they've logged, according to the results of a new survey from Law360 Pulse.
The nonequity partner tier is expanding across law firms, but compensation within this group varies widely, ranging from associate-level pay to earnings on par with equity partners. A deciding factor in where they fall on the scale, experts say, is often who brings in the clients.
Most lawyers say they’re satisfied with their compensation— but at firms that are open about pay, satisfaction nearly doubles. Explore our latest analysis of law firm compensation practices and what drives top talent.
Increasing demand and especially rising billing rates have made for a strong first nine months of 2025 for the legal industry, according to a report released Monday by Wells Fargo's Legal Specialty Group, with the top 50 firms by revenue seeing the best performance.
With a February trial date looming, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP has asked a Connecticut state judge's permission to stop representing the former president of a company behind the popular "Josh Cellars" wine brand, claiming unpaid legal bills and an alleged breakdown of the attorney-client relationship require its withdrawal.
Potter Anderson's representation of Pfizer in a suit against Novo Nordisk and Burr & Forman's work on a $500 million joint partnership lead this edition of Law360 Pulse's Spotlight On Mid-Law Work, recapping the top matters for Mid-Law firms from Oct. 31 to Nov. 14
McDermott Will & Schulte's confirmation that it is considering taking investment from private equity is part of a wider wave of law firms of all sizes actively exploring the novel maneuver amid mixed opinion as to whether it makes sense for BigLaw.
Sidley Austin LLP and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after a Washington federal jury cleared Novo Nordisk of allegations that it defrauded the state's Medicaid and Medicare systems by paying kickbacks and promoting off-label use to illegally boost prescriptions of its hemophilia drug NovoSeven.
The legal industry had another busy week with more lateral hires and leadership changes, and one BigLaw firm exploring private equity investments.
A group of former federal judges on Thursday condemned what they called "inflammatory remarks" last week by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche detailing the U.S. Department of Justice's "war" with "rogue activist" judges.
Hurwitz Sagarin Slossberg & Knuff LLC, a firm led for years by a pair of onetime prosecutors and veteran trial lawyers, recently decided to get back to its roots and sharpen its focus on complex litigation following the departure of its land use team.
Today's general counsel expect outside lawyers to show interest, relevance and value long before there is a live matter to address, including by engaging with attorneys at every level of the company and dispensing free advice thoughtfully, says Andrew Dick at The L Suite.
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Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Start Early In Your Career
Having the courage to embark on your legal business development strategy early in your career allows you to sooner reap the rewards of a strong network, which in turn can increase the momentum of referrals over the course of your career, says Kristin Housh at Sheppard Mullin.
As the legal profession navigates changes driven by artificial intelligence and broader pressures, leaders should consider behavioral research-backed strategies to translate enthusiasm into tangible results for team performance, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
Though law firms and private equity firms appear to be strange bedfellows, such combinations may offer opportunities for ailing midsize firms — which must be weighed against risks to culture, brand and growth prospects, say directors at FTI Consulting.
This year's Buying Legal Council Conference highlighted three emerging forces in how buyers and sellers operate in the legal ecosystem — artificial intelligence, data and preferred panels — and organizations would be well advised to combine them into an integrated framework for transparency, performance and collaboration, says Matthew Prinn at RFP Advisory Group.
As legal departments face mounting pressure to do more with less, general counsel should lead a structured process for adopting generative artificial intelligence tools to transform productivity, manage risk and align with enterprise priorities, says Maesea McCalpin at Gartner.
Amid law firm layoffs of business development staff, lawyers cannot depend solely on their firms to foster their professional growth, and must instead create their own initiatives for building community, says Lana Manganiello at Practice Growth Partner.
As artificial intelligence changes the dynamic between in-house and outside counsel, both internal and external legal teams must thoughtfully reimagine how to mutually leverage AI tools to collaborate and deliver successful outcomes, say Karineh Khachatourian at KXT Law and Diane Honda at Redis.
Sirisha Gummaregula at QuisLex offers advice on navigating the challenges that come with taking on an in-house counsel role after leaving law firm life, including learning your company's business goals and leading with empathy and collaboration.
As potential clients with legal questions increasingly rely on summaries generated by artificial intelligence, attorneys must rethink their content strategy to make sure AI chatbots and search overviews cite their thought leadership, say Ioana Good and Adrien Maines at Promova and Nancy Myrland at Myrland Marketing.
Complex corporate litigation now often unfolds under the glare of a parallel trial in the court of public opinion, requiring attorneys to adopt a cohesive strategy for legal filings, leadership communications and narrative control, says Monica Smith at Integer PR.
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Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Tailor Your Personal Style
In an industry where competition for clients is fierce, a thoughtful approach to personal style can give you the confidence to walk into any room and own it, the magnetism to make connections that matter, and the tools to highlight your deeper professional values, says Leslie Berkoff at Moritt Hock.
In today’s competitive legal market, successful attorneys treat the pitch process with general counsel like the beginning of a relationship, not a one-off sale — showing up with curiosity, commercial awareness and the ability to engage in a meaningful way from the start, says Andrew Dick at The L Suite.
Instead of lurching between year-end strategic planning season and springtime panic mode, firms need a framework that helps them identify what clients and the market need throughout the year, and then actually adjust course, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
As some attorneys seek interim roles amid economic uncertainty, big-picture thinking and a few proactive steps can help to turn those short-term assignments into long-term positions, says Amy Vanderhoof at Major Lindsey.