Associate Benefits

McDermott Will & Emery is an equal opportunity employer. 

Adoption Leave
Associates and Income Partners who are the primary caregiver in an adoption will be granted 12 weeks paid leave at 100% compensation when adopting an infant or young child.  Adoption Leave, Maternity Leave, Short Term Disability, and FMLA are administered concurrently. 

Annual Salary
The base starting salary for Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. is $160,000.  Miami is $135,000.  Associates are eligible to receive a bonus in December of each year based on their work during the associate review period year ending September 30.

Attorney Referral Program
Any Income Partner or Associate who refers of an experienced attorney or judicial clerk whom the Firm hires as a full-time associate will receive $10,000.  Referral fees are payable after the new hire has completed six months of employment.

Bar Associate Dues
McDermott will also pay the dues for one bar association membership for each attorney (limited to the actual required dues).  Section fees, subsections, or voluntary contributions are not included.

Attorneys Who are Members of Multiple Bars
McDermott pays the fees assessed by the jurisdiction in which you are a resident plus the registration fees assessed by any other jurisdiction in which the Firm has asked you to qualify or where considered in the business interests of the Firm.

Business Casual
McDermott’s dress code is business casual year-round in most offices.  Attorneys attending client meetings, court appearances, or on other appropriate occasions are expected to present themselves in a business attire. 

Backup Child Care (certain offices)
McDermott provides backup child care arrangements in certain offices for parents of children between the ages of 3 months and 13 years.  The program is designed to provide child care when regular child care is unavailable. 

Bar Registration Fees
McDermott will pay the Bar Registration fee for each attorney for the jurisdiction in which the attorney’s office is located.  (The fee is variously described as a registration fee, a bar fee, a licensing fee, or a licensing tax.)

Bar Exam and Related Expenses
McDermott will reimburse for the cost of the following exam-related expenses:

  1. One Bar Review Course
  2. One PMBR Review Course
  3. The Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam, and one
  4. Bar Exam Fee
  5. Patent Bar Exam

McDermott will allow 3 weeks paid time off for lateral attorneys who need to study for and take a bar exam once they have begun working for the Firm.

Court Admission Fee
Admission fees for courts within the jurisdiction in which an attorney practices are paid for by the Firm.

House Hunting / Relocation Expenses
McDermott will pay moving expenses up to $3,000 if the attorney is relocating from their school/home to a city in which they will be joining a McDermott office if the distance of the move is greater than 100 miles.  In addition to the $3,000 relocation reimbursement, McDermott will pay for the cost of one round-trip coach airfare ticket (or mileage, if you prefer to drive) and up to three nights stay in a hotel. 

Judicial Clerkship Bonus
Associates who join McDermott directly from a clerkship with a United States federal court or the highest court in any state and the District of Columbia receive a $35,000 clerkship bonus payable on their first day of work. 

Maternity Leave
McDermott offers 18 weeks paid maternity leave at 100% compensation, effective immediately upon joining the Firm.  Adoption Leave, Maternity Leave, Short Term Disability, and FMLA are administered concurrently. 

Paternity Leave Policy
McDermott offers 4 weeks paid paternity leave at 100% compensation for all male associates and income partners for natural birth and adoption.  An additional six weeks is available for fathers and other non-birth parents who serve as the primary caregiver.  This benefit is effective immediately upon joining the Firm.

Savings and Retirement Plan
The Firm maintains the Savings and Retirement Plan (SRP) for all eligible attorneys.  The SRP is a tax-qualified plan.  Attorneys are eligible to participate immediately upon their date of hire.