Microsoft’s Top Lawyer Smith Nets 20% Bump in Compensation

Brad Smith, the longtime legal chief at Microsoft Corp., saw his total compensation increase more than 20% this year, to almost $28.3 million, according to a proxy statement filed Tuesday.

Microsoft disclosed that Smith’s pay package was mostly comprised of $23.7 million in stock awards, as well as more than $4.4 million in cash, including $1 million in annual salary. His compensation marks a substantial increase over the $23.4 million that Smith earned in 2024 and $18.1 million in 2023.

Smith, a former partner at Covington & Burling, joined Microsoft in 1993 and was promoted to general counsel a ...