Author: TSA Press

Donald
Trump
is
assembling
the
greatest
team
of
trolls
the
world
has
ever
seen.
This
afternoon
he
announced
the
nomination
of
Florida
Rep.
Matt
Gaetz
to
be
attorney
general.

Of
the
United
States.

Of
America.

Armed
with
nothing
more
than
a
JD
and
an
unshakable
belief
that
Donald
Trump
should
be
allowed
to
do
crimes,
the
Florida
congressman
aims
to
become
the
highest
law
enforcement
officer
in
the
land.
Sure
he
doesn’t
appear
to
have
ever
tried
a
case
in
federal
court;
nor
is
he
a
member
of
any
federal
bar.
And
he
did
get

reprimanded
by
the
Florida
State
Bar
for
unprofessional
conduct
after
he
attempted
to
intimidate
Michael
Cohen
by
falsely
implying
that
he’d
engaged
in
an
extramarital
affair.
But
Gaetz
did
practice
for
a
few
years
at
a

civil
litigation
firm
in
Florida,
so
he’s
got
a
big
leg
up
on
that
Garland
guy,
with
his
federal
clerkships,
his
leadership
in
the
prosecutions
of
the
Unabomber
and
the
Oklahoma
City
Bomber,
and
his
years
on
the
DC
Circuit.
What
a
relief
that
the
DOJ
will
finally
be
in
safe
hands!

Although
perhaps
Gaetz’s
staff
would
be
wise
to
steer
clear
of
those
hands,
since
Gaetz
has
been
in
the
center
of
investigations
involving

sex
parties
with
minors
for
years.
His
colleagues
in
Congress
report
that
he
would
often
subject
them
to
to
naked
images
on
his
phone
of
women
he
claimed
to
have
had
sex
with.
On
the
plus
side,
that

House
Ethics
investigation
is
probably
over!
And
maybe
someone
at
Main
Justice
can
finally
show
Rep.
Horndog
how
to

lock
down
his
Venmo.

Perhaps
this
is
why
Trump
is
demanding
the
right
to
recess
appoint
half
the
executive
branch
—
some
of
these
stinkers
might
not
even
pass
muster
in
a
54-46
Senate.
But
the
night
is
still
young.
Perhaps
we
can
get
Don
Jr
as
head
of
the
Office
of
National
Drug
Control
Policy.
Catturd
as
Secretary
of
Agriculture?

We
are
all
accelerationists
now.

---

Liz
Dye lives
in
Baltimore
where
she
produces
the
Law
and
Chaos substack and podcast.

Donald
Trump
is
assembling
the
greatest
team
of
trolls
the
world
has
ever
seen.
This
afternoon
he
announced
the
nomination
of
Florida
Rep.
Matt
Gaetz
to
be
attorney
general.

Of
the
United
States.

Of
America.

Armed
with
nothing
more
than
a
JD
and
an
unshakable
belief
that
Donald
Trump
should
be
allowed
to
do
crimes,
the
Florida
congressman
aims
to
become
the
highest
law
enforcement
officer
in
the
land.
Sure
he
doesn’t
appear
to
have
ever
tried
a
case
in
federal
court;
nor
is
he
a
member
of
any
federal
bar.
And
he
did
get

reprimanded
by
the
Florida
State
Bar
for
unprofessional
conduct
after
he
attempted
to
intimidate
Michael
Cohen
by
falsely
implying
that
he’d
engaged
in
an
extramarital
affair.
But
Gaetz
did
practice
for
a
few
years
at
a

civil
litigation
firm
in
Florida,
so
he’s
got
a
big
leg
up
on
that
Garland
guy,
with
his
federal
clerkships,
his
leadership
in
the
prosecutions
of
the
Unabomber
and
the
Oklahoma
City
Bomber,
and
his
years
on
the
DC
Circuit.
What
a
relief
that
the
DOJ
will
finally
be
in
safe
hands!

Although
perhaps
Gaetz’s
staff
would
be
wise
to
steer
clear
of
those
hands,
since
Gaetz
has
been
in
the
center
of
investigations
involving

sex
parties
with
minors
for
years.
His
colleagues
in
Congress
report
that
he
would
often
subject
them
to
to
naked
images
on
his
phone
of
women
he
claimed
to
have
had
sex
with.
On
the
plus
side,
that

House
Ethics
investigation
is
probably
over!
And
maybe
someone
at
Main
Justice
can
finally
show
Rep.
Horndog
how
to

lock
down
his
Venmo.

Perhaps
this
is
why
Trump
is
demanding
the
right
to
recess
appoint
half
the
executive
branch
—
some
of
these
stinkers
might
not
even
pass
muster
in
a
54-46
Senate.
But
the
night
is
still
young.
Perhaps
we
can
get
Don
Jr
as
head
of
the
Office
of
National
Drug
Control
Policy.
Catturd
as
Secretary
of
Agriculture?

We
are
all
accelerationists
now.

---

Liz
Dye lives
in
Baltimore
where
she
produces
the
Law
and
Chaos substack and podcast.

While
every
major
political
shift
brings
unknowns,
the
results
of
the
most
recent
presidential
election
have
especially
struck
a
nerve
with
the
LGBTQ+
community.
Is Obergefell destined
to
be
overturned,
thus
triggering,
like Dobbs,
a
host
of
state
laws
that
restrict
individual
rights,
but
this
time
in
the
marriage
context? Will
embryos
soon
be
deemed
extrauterine
“unborn
minors”
(like
Alabama’s
Supreme
Court
found
them
to
be),
eliminating
fertility
treatment
options
for
individuals
and
couples?

These
are
just
a
few
of
the
myriad
questions
swirling.
But
whatever
the
answers
end
up
being,
the
best
approach
is
to
be
safe,
or
at
least
as
safe
as
you
can
be.
In
that
vein,
every
attorney
can
recommend
several
proactive
steps
for
their
concerned
clients
while
awaiting
the
full
effect
of
the
new
administration.

Estate
Planning.
Every
responsible
adult
should,
of
course,
have
an
estate
plan.
(That
includes
attorneys.)
These
documents
become
especially
important
when
the
legal
defaults
—
such
as
who
can
make
a
medical
decision
for
you
when
you
are
unable
to
make
those
decisions
for
yourself
or
who
would
receive
your
assets
in
the
case
of
death
—
do
not
naturally
align
with
your
clients’
intentions.

Parental
Protection.
A
majority
of
parents
in
the
LGBTQ+
community
grow
their
families
with
the
help
of
assisted
reproductive
technology,
including
donor
sperm,
donor
eggs,
and
surrogacy.
Laws
vary
from
state
to
state
as
to
the
recognition
of
who
is
and
who
is
not
a
parent.
For
example,
some
states
require
that
conception
with
donor
sperm
take
place
with
the
supervision
of
a
licensed
physician,
while
other
states
may
provide
legal
parentage
recognition
without
medical
supervision,
including
for
conception
by
at-home
insemination.

The
rule
of
thumb,
however,
is
to
always
obtain
a
court
order
recognizing
the
parent-child
relationship.
A
court
order,
unlike
a
birth
certificate,
is
entitled
to
full
faith
and
credit
under
the
Constitution,
and
hence
recognition
in
all
other
states.

In
most
states,
a
surrogacy
arrangement
would
naturally
require
a
court
order
to
name
intended
parents
as
legal
parents.
However,
in
nonsurrogacy
arrangements,
and
especially
for
many
same-sex
female
couples
conceiving
with
donated
sperm,
both
parents
may
be
named
on
the
child’s
birth
certificate
through
presumptions
of
law.
Unfortunately,
we
have
learned
from
case
after
case,
that
those
presumptions
are
merely
that
—
presumptions.
A
court
can
determine
that
one
of
the
parents
or,
in
theory,
both,
are
not
legal
parents
of
the
child.
We
saw
this
in
the
Idaho
Supreme
Court
case


Gatsby
v.
Gatsby
where
a
court
determined
that
because
the
nongenetic
mother
failed
to
adopt
the
child
born
to
her
wife
(despite
all
other
actions
she
took),
she
was
not
a
legal
parent,
and
her
name
was
ordered
to
be

removed
from
the
child’s
birth
certificate.

The
options
and
processes
to
obtain
a
protective
parentage
order
vary
from
state
to
state.
Some
states,
like
Colorado,
have
devised
a
simplified

Confirmation
Adoption
process
for
parents
through
assisted
reproduction
where
a
judge
is
required
by
law
to
rule
on
the
petition
within
30
days
of
filing.
Other
states
rely
on
more
traditional
routes
to
a
court
order
such
as
a
stepparent
adoption
process.

Connecting
Rainbows,
a
resource
for
members
of
the
LGBTQ+
community
seeking
fertility
services
and
legal
protections,
was
founded
by
an
attorney
who
was
surprised
and
frustrated
when
she
discovered
the
need
for
her
and
her
wife
to
adopt
their
own
child.
In
addition
to
educational
resources,
Connecting
Rainbows
provides
a
directory
of
attorneys
experienced
in
providing
these
family
protection
services.

Fertility
Care
—
Egg,
Sperm,
And
Embryos.
After
the
February
2024
Alabama
ruling
held
that
embryos
were
persons
in
the
context
of
a
wrongful
death
cause
of
action,
there
can
be
little
question
that
more
concerning
IVF-related
rulings
and
laws
are
on
the
horizon.
Anyone
with
stored
sperm,
eggs,
or
embryos
should
consult
an
attorney
in
their
state
to
consider
their
options.
Make
sure
there
is
clear
documentation
of
intentions
as
to
the
disposition
of
any
gametes
(eggs/sperm)
or
embryos.
Can
they
be
discarded
or
donated
to
others?
What
is
the
clinic
or
storage
facility
entitled
to
do
with
remaining
gametes
or
embryos
if
there
is
a
failure
to
make
a
payment?

Don’t
let
clients
believe
they
can
comfortably
rely
on
clinic
consent
forms!
They

may
not
be
binding,
especially
in
the
context
of
a
dispute
between
a
couple
as
to
the
future
of
their
embryos.

Identity
Documents. If
you
have
clients
with
a
name
or
gender
identity
that
is
not
reflected
in
their
government-issued
identifying
documents
(such
as
their
birth
certificate,
social
security
card,
and
passport),
now
is
the
time
to
update
those
documents.
Sooner
rather
than
later.

Attorney
Amira
Hasenbush,
her
firm
All
Family
Legal
PC,
and
contributing
attorneys,
created
this
summary
of

Recommendations
in
Preparation
for
the
Next
Trump
Presidency.
It’s
an
excellent
checklist
and
provides
answers
to
basic
questions.
Like,
“should
we
get
married
again
if
we
are
already
married?”
(No.)
Hasenbush
notes
that
especially
for
federal
ID
documents,
time
is
of
the
essence.
It
is
unclear
if
current
processes
to
correct
U.S.
passports
and
social
security
cards
(which,
at
present,
allow
for
a
nonbinary
gender
marker)
will
be
available
after
January.

Now
is
not
the
time
to
panic.
Or
maybe
it
is.
But
for
lawyers
unable
to
assure
their
LGBTQ+
clients
that
things
will
get
better,
you
can
at
least
provide
concrete
legal
steps
to
add
protections
for
themselves
and
their
families.

---

Ellen
Trachman
is
the
Managing
Attorney
of Trachman
Law
Center,
LLC,
a
Denver-based
law
firm
specializing
in
assisted
reproductive
technology
law,
and
co-host
of
the
podcast I
Want
To
Put
A
Baby
In
You.
You
can
reach
her
at [email protected].

Ed.
note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature,

Quote
of
the
Day.

There
are
a
number
of
reasons
why
base
salary
could
go
up
next
year,
particularly
if
transactional
flow
increases
next
year
over
this
year,
which
would
lead
to
some
firms
becoming
capacity
constrained.
[This]
in
turn
would
be
more
likely
to
lead
to
base
compensation
increases
for
associates.

—
Kent
Zimmermann,
a
consultant
with
Zeughauser
Group,
in
comments
given
to
the

American
Lawyer,
on
why
salaries
may
increase
for
Biglaw
associates
sometime
in
2025.
Zimmermann
went
on
to
say
that
firms
are
likely
to
“wait
and
see”
what
unfolds
in
terms
of
supply
and
demand
before
any
compensation
decisions
are
made.

---

Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on

X/Twitter
and

Threads
or
connect
with
her
on

LinkedIn.

---

---

Freedom
of
speech,
freedom
of
religion,
and
right
to
associate
freely
are
bedrock
principles
for
a
democracy
to
hold.
That
said,
Harvard
is
doing
a
great
job
of
showing
its
students,
staff,
and
the
world
that
it
isn’t
a
democracy.
After

suspending
law
students
and

professors
for
quietly
studying
in
the
library,
the
students
asked
the
school
to
reverse
the
suspensions.

The
Crimson
covered
the
school’s
refusal:

Harvard
Law
School
administrators
rejected
appeals
from
students
to
reverse
temporary
suspensions
from
the
school’s
library
in
Langdell
Hall
over
their
participation
in
pro-Palestine
“study-ins”
last
month,
according
to
the
school’s
chapter
of
the
National
Lawyers
Guild.

…

“Absent
mistaken
identity,
meaning
only
that
you
were
not
a
participant
at
the
organized
demonstration
and
have
been
mistaken
for
another
person,
the
HLSL
is
applying
University
rules,
and
your
suspension
remains,”
[Assistant
dean
for
library
and
information
services
Amanda]
Watson
wrote
in
an
email
to
one
student
obtained
by
The
Crimson.

Harvard’s
commitment
to
the
ban
has
its
students
asking
very
reasonable
questions
about
why
their
“study-in”
was
more
disruptive
to
the
use
of
the
library
than
other
coordinated
events,
like
the
school-sanctioned
Halloween
event.

If
the
prior
enforcement
of
Harvard’s
censorship
wasn’t
enough
for
you,
how
about
cracking
down
on
prayer?
At
the

Divinity
school?
Also
from

The
Crimson:

Harvard
Divinity
School
students
were
issued
two-week
suspensions
from
its
library
for
participating
in
a
pro-Palestine
“pray-in”
demonstration
last
Monday.

…

Divinity
School
Dean
Marla
F.
Frederick
announced
the
suspensions
in
an
email
sent
Monday
morning.
In
the
email,
Frederick
acknowledged
the
“importance
of
prayer.”

“At
HDS
we
honor
the
importance
of
prayer
and
what
it
represents
for
so
many.
And,
as
one
colleague
reminded
us
recently,
‘prayer
is
protest,’”
Frederick
wrote.
“In
and
of
itself,
advocacy
for
the
cause
of
people
under
duress
—
whether
in
Israel,
Gaza,
or
other
parts
of
the
world
—
is
noble,”
she
added.

Noble
or
not,
prayer-as-protest
is
still
enough
to
get
you
kicked
out
the
library?
What’s
next?
Will
a
study
group
reading
a
paper

on
how
the
bombing
of
Gaza
is
worsening
global
warming
get
environmental
science
students
kicked
from
the
building
for
protesting?
Would
a
silent
in-depth
costs/benefit
analysis
of
the
United
States’
spending
on
Isreal’s
military
operations
by
reading

Linda
Bilmes‘s
work
count
as
a
protest
if
10
people
are
reading
together?
What
if
it
were
three
—
or
one?

Harvard’s
crest
is
emblazoned
with
the
word
Veritas
—
Latin
for
truth.
To
know
the
truth
on
campus
still
appears
to
be
fair
game.
But
pursuit
of
it
through
study,
prayer,
or
the
company
of
like-minded
pursuers,
will
get
you
banned
from
the
library.

Harvard
Law
School
Denies
Student
Appeals
to
Reverse
Library
Bans
[The
Crimson]

Students
Suspended
from
Harvard
Divinity
School
Library
After
Pray-In
[The
Crimson]

Earlier:

This
Is
The
Actual
Campus
Censorship
The
Free
Speech
People
Should
Be
Worried
About

So
Much
For
Free
Speech:
Harvard
Law
Students
Punished
For
Reading
Together
At
Campus
Library

Harvard
Doubles
Down
On
‘Protest’
Retaliation
&
Punishes
Teachers
For
Studying
In
Library

---

Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s.
 He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
cannot
swim, a
published
author
on
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected] and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.

Now
that
Donald
Trump
has
been
elected
for
his
second
and
final
term
as
president,
some
people
are
thinking
about
leaving
the
country
during
his
imperial
reign.
Most
people
who
are
simply
unhappy
with
the
election
results
will
probably
change
their
minds
after
a
day
or
two.

While
Trump
is
known
for
his
bluster,
he
has
been
subject
to
all
kinds
of
investigations,
impeachments,
indictments,
and
even
assassination
attempts.
He
claims
that
he
has
been
unfairly
attacked.
In
some
cases,
he
may
be
correct.
So
some
of
his
critics
and
detractors
may
want
to
flee
because
they
genuinely
fear
government
reprisal
because
of
what
they
did
or
said.

Others
fear
that
the
likely
Republican-controlled
government
will
strip
civil
rights
and
incite
others
to
harass
or
persecute
marginalized
groups.

But
leaving
the
country
is
not
an
easy
endeavor,
especially
without
proper
planning.

First,
you
need
to
be
able
to
enter
the
foreign
country
legally.
Otherwise,
it
may
be
difficult
or
impossible
to
legally
work,
obtain
a
local
identification
card
or
driver’s
license,
have
local
bank
accounts,
or
even
find
a
place
to
live.
Also,
you
don’t
want
to
go
through
their
deportation
or
removal
procedures,
which
may
involve
jail
time.

Tourist
visas
generally
do
not
allow
holders
to
obtain
employment
in
the
country.
Instead,
an
employer
must
sponsor
the
applicant
for
an
employment
visa.
That
may
require
approval
from
the
government
before
it
is
issued.

Another
way
to
enter
and
work
in
a
country
legally
is
to
apply
for
asylum.
While
each
country
has
its
own
procedures
and
requirements
for
granting
asylum,
in
most
countries
an
applicant
must
show
that
he
or
she
will
face
torture
or
persecution
if
forced
to
return
to
their
home
country
due
to
their
race,
nationality,
membership
in
a
group,
or
their
political
opinions.
Generally
being
unhappy
with
election
outcomes
does
not
make
someone
eligible
for
asylum,
even
it
results
in

mental
health
problems.

For
those
who
can
work
remotely
full-time,
they
may
not
need
to
worry
about
the
above.
They
can
simply
stay
as
long
as
their
tourist
visa
allows
before
either
returning
home
or
moving
to
another
country.

Alternatively,
some
countries
are
starting
to
issue
digital
nomad
visas
which
generally
allow
foreigners
to
reside
in
the
country
while
working
remotely
for
an
employer
based
overseas.
To
qualify,
most
countries
require
payment
of
a
processing
fee,
and
proof
of
income.
In
some
cases,
after
a
certain
number
of
years,
visa
holders
can
apply
for
permanent
resident
status.

If
you
set
up
a
bank
account
in
a
foreign
country,
you
will
have
to
file
an
annual
report
known
as
the

Foreign
Bank
Account
Report
or
FBAR.
This
is
required
if
your
foreign
bank
account
at
any
time
during
the
year
had
more
than
$10,000.
The
FBAR
requires
you
to
disclose
the
highest
balance
in
the
account
during
a
calendar
year.

Once
you
figured
out
a
way
to
obtain
employment,
you
will
have
to
plan
for
taxes,
which
can
get
quite
complicated.
Most
countries,
just
like
the
United
States,
require
payment
of
income
taxes.
But
the
U.S.
imposes
income
tax
on
a
taxpayer’s
worldwide
income.
This
could
present
a
possible
double
tax
problem.

Fortunately,
U.S.
tax
law
has
provisions
to
minimize
or
eliminate
the
potential
double
tax.
The
first
is
the

foreign
earned-income
exclusion
which
excludes
a
certain
amount
of
overseas-earned
income
from
U.S.
income
taxes.
To
qualify,
the
taxpayer
has
to
have
lived
in
the
foreign
country
for
the
entire
tax
year
or
at
least
330
days
in
a
12-month
period.
However,
self-employed
taxpayers
must
pay
self-employment
tax
—
typically
around
15%
of
net
income.
For
2024,
the
maximum
exclusion
is

$126,500
per
person.

In
addition
to
the
foreign
earned-income
exclusion,
taxpayers
living
overseas
can
also
take
advantage
of
the

foreign
housing
deduction
or
exclusion.
Generally,
this
allows
taxpayers
to
exclude
a
certain
amount
of
housing
expenses
from
taxable
income
or
deduct
the
cost
of
housing
expenses
from
taxable
income.

To
qualify
the
above
income
exclusions
or
deductions,
the
taxpayer’s
“tax
home”
must
be
in
a
foreign
country
throughout
the
period
of
bona
fide
residence
or
physical
presence
abroad.
Also,
if
the
employment
assignment
in
the
foreign
country
is
temporary,
rather
than
for
an
indefinite
period,
the
taxpayer
will
not
qualify
for
the
foreign
income
exclusion
provisions.

If
the
overseas
taxpayer
either
exhausted
their
foreign
income
exclusion
or
does
not
qualify
for
the
exclusion,
the
taxpayer’s
U.S.
tax
bill
can
be
minimized
with
the
foreign
tax
credit.
This
generally
means
that
income
taxes
paid
to
a
foreign
country
can
be
used
as
a
dollar-for-dollar
credit
to
offset
the
taxpayer’s
U.S.
income
tax
bill.
This
is
particularly
useful
if
the
taxpayer
lives
in
a
country
whose
income
tax
rates
are
higher
than
the
U.S.
This
credit
is
not
available
for
a
foreign
country’s
local
income
taxes,
sales
taxes
or
value-added
taxes.

To
add
an
extra
layer
of
complexity,
there
may
be
a
tax
treaty
between
the
U.S.
and
a
foreign
country
which
imposes
its
own
rules
or
special
tax
rates.

One
last
thing
to
consider:
will
the
grass
be
greener
on
the
other
side?
Other
countries
do
not
seem
to
be
openly
inviting
U.S.
citizens
and
residents
to
immigrate.
In
fact,
it
may
be
the
opposite.
In
March
24,
2023,
Canada
and
the
U.S.
made
changes
to
its

Safe
Third
Country
Agreement.
Notably,
people
who
enter
Canada
from
the
U.S.
to
seek
asylum
will
be

returned
to
the
U.S.
unless
a
narrow
exception
applies.
Also,
Canada
has
recently

tightened
its
immigration
rules
because
a
large
influx
of
immigrants
is
believed
to
have
created
a
housing
shortage
and
strained
its
national
health
care
system.

Also,
U.S.
citizens
working
remotely
have
moved
to
Mexico
City
because
of
the
relatively
low
cost
of
living
and
its
vibrant
atmosphere.
But
this
has

angered
local
residents
because
it
has
resulted
in
locals
moving
out
due
to
higher
housing
costs.

While
many
people
are
upset
with
the
election
results
and
want
to
leave
the
country
out
of
frustration
or
fear,
it
is
only
feasible
for
a
small
number
to
do
so.
And
those
who
are
able
to
leave
may
find
that
their
new
neighbors
may
not
welcome
them
with
open
arms.

---

Steven
Chung
is
a
tax
attorney
in
Los
Angeles,
California.
He
helps
people
with
basic
tax
planning
and
resolve
tax
disputes.
He
is
also
sympathetic
to
people
with
large
student
loans.
He
can
be
reached
via
email
at




[email protected].
Or
you
can
connect
with
him
on
Twitter
(@stevenchung)
and
connect
with
him
on LinkedIn.

Troutman
Pepper
pushed
back

the
merger
with
Locke
Lord
from
earlier
this
year,
but
as
the
leaves
begin
to
fall
in
earnest
(and

potential
billion-dollar
conflicts
get
resolved),
it’s
time
to

get
on
with
the
tie-up.
And
part
of
that
move
—
beyond
adding
Locke
and
Lord
to
poor
Pepper
and
Hamilton
as
names
that
will
inevitably
achieve

footnote
status
—
involves
figuring
out
how
the
new
firm
intends
to
compensate
its
merged
associates.

Tipsters
inform
us
that
late
last
week,
Troutman
outlined
the
new
compensation
formula
for
the
firm
moving
forward.

Currently,
Troutman
Pepper
matches
the
market
scale
for
first
and
second
years,
with
salaries
falling
increasingly
behind
the
market
as
attorneys
become
more
senior.

The
new
Troutman
Pepper
Locke,
or
“Troutman”
to
everyone
else,
will
most
likely
enter
the
Am
Law
50
based
on
past
financial
results,
boasting
~$1.570
billion
in
revenue
with
about
1,600
attorneys
in
35
offices.
The
combined
entity
will
still
pay
market
for
the
first
two
years,
but
afterward,
we
hear
the
firm
will
offer
a
two-tier
scale
with
associates
qualifying
for
either
the
“high”
or
“low”
scale.
Despite
this
new
announcement,
sources
say
they
remain
fuzzy
on
what
factors
will
determine
an
associate’s
high-
or
low-tier
fate
and
we
have
not
seen
a
definitive
scale.

So,
understandably,
midlevel
associates
do
not
seem
thrilled.
One
associate
described
the
announcement
as
“We’re
projected
to
be
Am
Law
top
30
post
merger,
but
still
are
paying
like
an
Am
Law
200
firm.”

While
the
furious
lateral
movement
of
a
couple
years
ago
has
died
down,
firms
are
seeing

legitimately
higher
demand
across
multiple
practice
areas.
Unlike
the
last
few
cycles,
hiring
is
up
at
the
same
time
as
both
productivity
and
demand.
That’s
a
recipe
for
associates
to
test
the
lateral
waters.
Which
might
be
Troutman’s
goal,
as
mergers
produce
redundancies.

Anyway,
to
all
the
soon-to-be-merged
associates…
may
your
fortunes
find
you
in
the
higher
tier.

---

Joe
Patrice is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter or

Bluesky
if
you’re
interested
in
law,
politics,
and
a
healthy
dose
of
college
sports
news.
Joe
also
serves
as
a

Managing
Director
at
RPN
Executive
Search.

Biglaw
might
not
be
ready
to
announce
bonuses
yet,
what
with

Milbank
special
bonus
money
potentially
gumming
up
the
works,
but
that’s
not
stopping
boutique
firms
from
firing
out
of
the
gate
with
bonuses
that’ll
make
their
Biglaw
competitors
blush.

On
that
note,
Texas-based
complex
commercial
litigation
boutique

Vartabedian
Hester
&
Haynes
today
announced
that
associates
will,
in
fact,
be
getting
the
Milbank
special
bonus
money,
on
top
of
bonuses
matching
the

generous
year-end
bonus
scale
that
Milbank
unleashed
on
Monday.
The
firm
is
less
than
a
year
old,
and
it’s
already
paying
out
Biglaw
bucks.
Wow!
Here’s
an
excerpt
from
the
firm’s
bonus
announcement:

We
started
the
Firm
with
seemingly
inconsistent
goals:
to
provide
the
same
level
of
excellent
client
service
and
results
as
when
we
were
in
Big
Law,
but
at
substantially
lower
rates;
to
lower
billable
hour
requirements
for
Associates,
but
to
compensate
Associates
in
line
with
the
top
of
the
market.
Despite
no
material
revenue
for
the
first
three
months
of
2024
as
we
launched
the
Firm,
our
hard
work,
dedication,
and
devoted
clients
put
us
in
a
position
to
meet
all
of
these
goals
this
year.

A
source
tells
Above
the
Law
that
lawyers
were
enticed
to
work
at
VHH
with
“the
promise
of
less
work
and
comp
that
would
match
or
beat
Cravath/Milbank
scale”
—
and
talk
about
follow
through!
Needless
to
say,
associates
are
pretty
excited.
As
noted
in
the
firm’s
memo,
year-end
bonuses
come

in
addition
to
associates’
signing
bonuses,
special
bonuses
that
have
already
been
distributed,
and
a
$5,000
firm
profit
share
awarded
in
the
spring.

Here’s
what
the
eye-popping
2024
bonus
scale
looks
like
at
the
firm:

• Class
  of
  2024:
  $21,000
• Class
  of
  2023:
  $26,000
• Class
  of
  2022:
  $40,000
• Class
  of
  2021:
  $72,500
• Class
  of
  2020:
  $95,000
• Class
  of
  2019:
  $115,000
• Class
  of
  2018:
  $130,000
• Class
  of
  2017:
  $140,000
• Class
  of
  2016:
  $140,000

Bonuses
will
be
paid
on
or
before
December
31st
to
all
associates
who
have
met
their
1800-hour
billable
goal.
Congrats
to
everyone
at
the
VHH!

(Flip
the
page
to
see
the
full
memo
from
Vartabedian
Hester
&
Haynes.)

Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
important
bonus
updates,
so
when
your
firm
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.

And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Thanks
for
all
of
your
help!

---

Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on

X/Twitter
and

Threads
or
connect
with
her
on

LinkedIn.

---

---

Earlier
this
week,
Milbank
surprised
associates
with
an
early

year-end
bonus
announcement.
The
scale
matched
what
was
generously
offered
last
year,
with
bonus
amounts
ranging
from
$15,000
to
$115,000.
Not
to
be
forgotten
are

Milbank’s
special
summer
bonuses,
which
ranged
from
$6,000
to
$25,000.
In
total,
Milbank
is
offering
total
bonuses
ranging
from
$21,000
to
$140,000.

When
will
the
matching
spree
begin?
And
is
any
Biglaw
firm
now
willing
to
match
Milbank
on
its
special
bonuses?
The
waiting
game
has
started
as
all
eyes
turn
to
Cravath.

Last
year,
Milbank
rolled
out
its
bonuses
in
early
November,
and
the
vast
majority
of
firms
waited
for
Cravath
to
finally

make
its
own
announcement
three
weeks
later
before
Biglaw’s
annual
matching
mayhem
began.
Will
Cravath
meet
the
moment
and
match
Milbank’s
summer
bonuses?
Industry
insiders
think
it
could
happen.
The

American
Lawyer
has
the
details:

“Given
the
history
of
these
firms
paying
the
same
associate
compensation,
at
least
at
the
top
of
the
market,
my
thought
with
what
we
were
going
to
see
happen
this
year
was
the
other
firms
were
going
to
kind
of
take
that
special
bonus
into
their
year-end
bonus
numbers,”
said
Stephanie
Biderman,
who
works
in
the
associate
practice
group
of
recruiting
firm
Major
Lindsey
&
Africa.
“Time
will
tell,
and
we’ll
see
if
that’s
actually
what
happens.”

Biderman
said
her
immediate
takeaway
is
that
Milbank
continues
in
its
role
as
a
market
leader
and
first
mover
when
it
comes
to
associate
compensation,
and
the
question
now
is
whether
other
large
firms
would
follow
suit
with
the
same
figures
as
Milbank
or
exceed
that
scale.
It
simply
may
be
too
early
to
conjecture
at
this
point,
she
said.

So,
will
other
firms
actually
be
able
to
ante
up
when
it
comes
to
offering
Milbank
money
on
top
of
their
year-end
bonuses?
Unfortunately,
not
every
large
law
firm
is
in
a
position
to
throw
around
$25K,
and
even
the
ones
that
are
may
attach
additional
strings
to
the
money
(like
hours
or
office
attendance
requirements).
Associates
should
be
prepared
for
some
extra
fine
print
with
this
year’s
cash
bash.

Speaking
of
big
bonuses,
could
Milbank’s
already
generous
bonuses
go
even
higher?
As
we
noted
just
yesterday,
Biglaw
firms
are

doing
well
this
year
—
really,
really
well.
“Traditionally,
when
the
numbers
go
much
higher,
it’s
because
these
firms
had
incredibly
profitable,
successful
years,”
Biderman
said.
She’s
not
sure
right
now
“if,
as
a
result,
we’re
going
to
see
those
bonus
numbers
go
up
higher.”

Only
time
will
tell…
tick-tock,
Cravath!

Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
important
bonus
updates,
so
when
your
firm
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.

And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.
Thanks
for
all
of
your
help!

Big
Law
Expected
To
Follow
Milbank’s
Lead
With
Associate
Year-End
Bonuses
[American
Lawyer]

---

Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on

X/Twitter
and

Threads
or
connect
with
her
on

LinkedIn.

---

---

It’s
the
most
wonderful
time
of
the
year!
Milbank
continues
to
relish
its
role
as
the
Pied
Piper
of
Biglaw
bonuses,
once
again
jumping
the
traditional
late
November
bonus
announcement
kickoff
to

set
the
bar
for
2024
annual
bonuses.
We
also
learned
that
a
number
of
firms
make

non-equity
pay
a
share
of
the
partnership
expenses
despite
holding
no
equity.
And
one
partner
out
there
is
using
work
email
to

complain
about
the
neighbors
with
offensive
terminology.

---

---