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Law firm pay is becoming more open. This gives attorneys more information when they compare firms and career options.

BCG Attorney Search has released its Law Firm Compensation Transparency Report. The report ranks major U.S. law firms by how much pay information they share.

It looks at salaries, bonuses, and other forms of compensation. The report can help lawyers, law students, recruiters, and firms understand pay trends across the legal market.

Learn more from this report: Law Firm Compensation Transparency Report: Which Firms Reveal the Most About Pay and Bonuses?

Report Uses a 100-Point Index

BCG Attorney Search ranks the largest 100 U.S. law firms. It uses a 100-point Transparency Index.

The index looks at seven areas of pay disclosure. These include associate salaries and bonus scales. It also covers bonus rules and partner pay models.

The report also reviews profits per equity partner. Counsel and staff attorney pay are included as well. Pay-equity and diversity data also factor into the rankings.

Firms earn credit when they share current pay information with the public. Therefore, the rankings focus on details that job candidates can review.

Cravath Leads the Rankings

Cravath, Swaine & Moore ranks first in the 2026 report. It earned a score of 97.

Davis Polk & Wardwell ranks second with 95 points. Cleary Gottlieb ranks third with 94 points.

Debevoise & Plimpton, Paul Weiss, and Sullivan & Cromwell also rank among the leaders. Simpson Thacher, Milbank, Wachtell Lipton, and Willkie Farr round out the top 10.

The results show that some leading firms now share more pay data. This can give them an edge when hiring lawyers.

Bonus Rules Still Lack Clarity

The report also points to a gap in bonus disclosure.

Many firms share associate salary data. However, fewer firms explain the rules for earning a full bonus.

This can make firm comparisons harder. For example, a bonus may depend on billable hours or job performance.

Therefore, lawyers should look beyond the bonus amount. They should also ask about the rules that apply.

Partner Pay Varies by Firm

Partner pay remains harder to compare.

The report covers several partner pay models. These include lockstep, eat-what-you-kill, and hybrid systems.

Some firms do not disclose their partner pay model. For lateral partners, this can make offers harder to compare.

Originations, collections, and equity points can affect partner pay. Firm-specific rules may also play a role.

Transparency May Shape Legal Recruiting

Pay transparency is becoming more important in legal hiring.

Law students can use salary data to compare firms. Associates can use it when considering a lateral move.

Recruiters can also use pay data to compare competing firms. Meanwhile, firms may use transparency to attract strong candidates.

The report shows a clear shift in the legal market. Attorneys want more information before making career decisions.

As firms compete for legal talent, clear pay data could become a powerful recruiting tool.

Learn more from this report: Law Firm Compensation Transparency Report: Which Firms Reveal the Most About Pay and Bonuses?

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The post BigLaw Pay Secrets: Which Firms Reveal the Most? first appeared on JDJournal Blog.