Cravath-paying law firms in Miami
Twenty Miami firms pay the Cravath scale.
Here's who they are, what the 2025–2026 scale pays by class year, and what it takes to make the move.
Associate base salary and year-end bonus by class year, as matched by market-paying firms nationally, including in Miami.
What “pays Cravath” means.
The Cravath scale is the industry-standard associate pay structure by class year, historically tied to Cravath, Swaine & Moore. Other firms, most notably Milbank, have at times announced new numbers first, but the name stuck.
When a firm “pays Cravath,” it matches the prevailing market scale for associates. Over the past few years, a wave of Am Law 100 and 200 firms has built real Miami offices, and many of them compete for laterals at Cravath pay.
The scale.
| Class year | Base | Bonus | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $225,000 | $20,000 | $245,000 |
| 2nd year | $235,000 | $30,000 | $265,000 |
| 3rd year | $260,000 | $57,500 | $317,500 |
| 4th year | $310,000 | $75,000 | $385,000 |
| 5th year | $365,000 | $90,000 | $455,000 |
| 6th year | $390,000 | $105,000 | $495,000 |
| 7th year | $420,000 | $115,000 | $535,000 |
| 8th year | $435,000 | $115,000 | $550,000 |
Market-reported compensation and recruiter-confirmed data at the time of writing. A general picture, not a guarantee of what any firm pays today. Some firms use different structures for different offices.
The firms.
Firms with a Miami presence paying the Cravath scale, based on publicly reported and recruiter-confirmed data in 2026.
- Kirkland & EllisAm Law #1
- DLA PiperAm Law Top 5
- White & CaseAm Law Top 10
- Sidley AustinAm Law Top 10
- Baker McKenzieAm Law Top 10
- Morgan LewisAm Law Top 10
- Jones DayAm Law Top 15
- Hogan LovellsAm Law Top 15
- Quinn EmanuelAm Law Top 20
- Holland & KnightAm Law Top 50
- King & SpaldingAm Law Top 50
- Morrison FoersterAm Law Top 50
- Winston & StrawnAm Law Top 50
- McDermott Will & EmeryAm Law Top 50
- CooleyAm Law Top 50
- Weil GotshalAm Law Top 50
- Hunton Andrews KurthAm Law Top 100
- MintzAm Law Top 100
- PillsburyAm Law Top 100
- Boies Schiller FlexnerAm Law Top 200
Listed for informational purposes. Which of these are hiring in your practice right now is a different question. That's what the call is for.
Not paying Cravath isn't a red flag.
Plenty of highly regarded Am Law firms in Miami don't follow lockstep Cravath pay. They typically pay within $10,000 to $50,000 of the scale, and strong bonuses can close the gap.
Black box firms don't publish compensation at all. I can tell you what I'm seeing in actual offers, so you know what's realistic before you interview.
What they look for.
“I am a talented attorney, but I was underpaid. Chris and I set a target salary and some other criteria, and Chris went right to work for me. Within 1.5 months, Chris got me a $65,000 base pay increase.”
How it works.
We talk first. I want to know what you're doing now, what you want more of, what you want less of, and what would motivate you to make a move.
Then I tell you which firms make sense, and which don't, who's growing and declining, internal feedback and information. Nothing about you goes to a firm without your written OK.
More on how I work with attorneys.
FAQ
Holtz & Bernard is a member of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants (NALSC), a national professional organization for the legal search profession, committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in the field.