In an era where partner pay spreads in Big Law continue to widen, a select group of law firms is maintaining more equitable compensation structures. According to ALM survey data for the financial years 2022 and 2023, several firms have succeeded in keeping their equity partner pay ratios at or under approximately 4-to-1. Firms such as Butler Snow, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, Goulston & Storrs, Bond, Schoeneck & King, Bracewell, and Morris, Manning & Martin are notable for their relatively smaller pay spreads.
This approach contrasts markedly with the trend among other firms in the Am Law 200, where the median pay ratio is significantly higher. These outliers maintain pay spreads that are less than half of the median pay ratios observed across Big Law, underscoring a commitment to more balanced compensation practices.