While much of Biglaw is still dragging its feet on associate raises, one elite litigation boutique certainly isn’t making its lawyers wait around for more money.
Reid Collins & Tsai is getting ready to hand out its third round of associate bonuses in 2026, and the numbers are enough to make plenty of Biglaw associates jealous. Sources tell us the trial firm will distribute another round of bonuses later this month, bringing associates’ total bonus compensation for the year so far to between $130,000 and $170,000.
Yes, you read that correctly. It’s August, and Reid Collins associates have already collected as much as $170,000 in bonuses — and there’s still more money to come later this year.
Of course, this isn’t exactly out of character for Reid Collins. The firm distributes bonuses throughout the year as fees come in, rather than waiting until year-end to spread the wealth. When the firm has a good year, associates can have a very good year.
Back in 2022, when Above the Law last took a deep dive into its compensation system, managing partner Lisa Tsai explained that the firm deliberately avoids tying bonuses strictly to class year or billable hours. That year, one junior associate just two years out of law school scored a $200,000 bonus in a single round, while two nonequity partners received $1 million bonuses.
The firm’s unusual compensation structure makes sense given its business model. Reid Collins handles high-stakes plaintiffs-side commercial litigation and regularly takes matters on alternative-fee and contingency arrangements, meaning successful cases can produce some very substantial fees. When that money comes in, Reid Collins is more than happy to spread the wealth.
Three bonus rounds before Labor Day, with more still to come? Biglaw associates waiting for their firms to do anything about compensation may want to avert their eyes.
Congratulations to everyone at Reid Collins & Tsai!
Remember everyone, we depend on your tips to stay on top of compensation updates, so when your firm announces or matches, please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Bonus/Matches”). 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.
And if you’d like to sign up for ATL’s Bonus Alerts (which is the alert list we also use for salary announcements), please scroll down and enter your email address in the box below this post. If you previously signed up for the bonus alerts, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive an email notification within minutes of each bonus announcement that we publish. Thanks for your help!
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
The post Elite Litigation Boutique Is Already On Its Third Round Of Associate Bonuses appeared first on Above the Law.