Brewer Litigation Firm Tops Cravath Scale for Associate Salaries

Litigation boutique Brewer Attorneys & Counselors has raised starting salaries for new lawyers to $250,000, surpassing the scale set by the country’s elite firms.

The new starting salary tops the $215,000 level under the “Cravath scale” used by many major law firms. Brewer, a small firm that focuses on high stakes court battles, is looking to boost recruiting in Texas.

“When you start out in a higher place, you are able to contribute more significantly to the firm, your clients and in community impact cases,” said Bill Brewer, a founding partner of the firm. “A rising tide lifts all boats, so when we increase pay at the base level, everyone benefits.”

Brewer’s announcement to raise pay comes as many law firms around the country are laying-off attorneys and staff amid the economic downturn. Reed Smith said it would cut 30 lawyers and 20 staff members, while Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe laid off a total of 90 lawyers and staff members.

“It’s definitely unusual,” said Joshua Holt, the founder of BigLaw Investor, which offers financial information for lawyers. “When a firm does something like this everyone pays attention.”

Major law firms pay associates on a seniority-based scale, which topped out at $415,000 last year, according to BigLaw Investor. Brewer’s associates typically see their annual salaries—not including bonuses—rise by about $20,000 each year on the job, Bill Brewer said.

The firm was founded in Dallas in 1984 and opened a New York office two years later. Its lawyers have recently represented the National Rifle Association in gun rights cases and defended 3M Co. in a suit over the sale of its European pharmaceutical business.

The firm recently hired Locke Lord partner Matthew Davis, a veteran Texas litigator, to help ramp up recruiting efforts in Dallas, according to a report from The Texas Lawyer.

Brewer said the pay increases are aimed at “effective” and “aggressive” recruitment and retention. More predictable pay increases opportunities for young lawyers to grow laterally within firms, he added.

“We want people to succeed and exceed what others expect of them,” Brewer said. “We do that by predictable pay.”