Wake Up Call: Big Law Woos SCOTUS Clerks With $500,000 Bonuses

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

• Gibson Dunn, Jones Day and other Big Law firms are wooing outgoing US Supreme Court clerks with everything from swank meals to spa days—not to mention signing bonuses of up to half a million dollars, a Gibson spokeswoman said. The three-dozen law clerks who leave justices after their one-year terms have “unparalleled knowledge of the court,” putting them in “incredibly high demand.” (Washington Post)
• Ropes & Gray has added its name to the growing list of US firms that are boosting the salaries of newly qualified lawyers in the UK. The firm raised its pay from 147,000 to 165,000 pounds, a 12% bump. Ropes follows Paul Hastings, Cleary Gottlieb and others that recently have made similar moves in the highly competitive London legal market. (Financial News)
• Slaughter and May kicked off 2024 by making its “switch on/switch off” model a permanent part of its reduced pay for reduced hours policy for attorneys who opt-in. But some are already doubting the model’s effectiveness and what it could mean for associates later making partner. (Law.com).

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Elizabeth O’Donoghue has joined Armstrong Teasdale as a partner in the trademark practice in Philadelphia.
• Douglas DiMedio has joined Benesch as a partner in New York. He joins from Kirkland & Ellis.
• Jean-Pierre Picca and Jean-Lou Salha have joined Hogan Lovells as disputes partners in the Paris office. They join from White & Case.