Article: Salary Increases Reach Biglaw Offices In China

Above the Law reports….

Salary Increases Reach Biglaw Offices In China

By JOE PATRICE

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/ Jun 14, 2016 at 11:24 AM

We’ve noticed a bit of Biglaw schizophrenia when it comes to international offices. Some firms are dutifully including their overseas lawyers — particularly London folks — in their improved compensation plans. Others have fallen completely silent on overseas attorneys, or pawned the decision off on their international offices, leaving associates on tenterhooks.

Cleary Gottlieb has now brought the salary cavalcade to Asia with a memo announcing raises for its associates on the U.S. scale toiling in the firm’s Hong Kong office. We’ve heard the firm sent the same message on to the Beijing office, but have yet to receive a copy of that memo.

Unknown at this time is the fate of the Seoul office. Tipsters say the firm generally keeps its Asian offices in lockstep, but so far we’ve gotten so much silence out of the South Korean office you’d think it was the North Korean office.

For all the disgruntled overseas associates writing us about their Biglaw employers dragging their heels on letting you know one way or the other what to expect, feel free to casually email this story to your firm’s managing partner with a “Pls Hndle Thx.”

The Hong Kong memo is available on the next page.

Remember, when your firm matches, please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Matches Cravath”). Please include the memo if available. You can take a photo of the memo and send it via text or email if you don’t want to forward the original PDF or Word file.