Susman Godfrey Makes New Partners, Donates to Racial Justice
By Lawdragon News | December 16, 2020 | Press Releases, Susman Godfrey News
HOUSTON, NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, SEATTLE (December 14, 2020) Susman Godfrey announced today that all six associates in its 2020 class have been elected to the partnership, including four women:
From Houston: Laranda Walker
From New York: Elisha Barron and Tamar Lusztig
From Seattle: Jenna Farleigh, Ian Gore, and John Schiltz
Susman Godfrey committed at the start of the pandemic that no employee of the firm would lose their job or a penny of their salary this year, and it kept this commitment. Today, bonuses were paid to all employees, including associates.
Susman Godfrey bases year-end associate bonuses on partnership class within the firm, not graduation year from law school. The median 2020 bonus for each partnership class at Susman Godfrey is:
- Class of 2020: $ 170,000
- Class of 2021: $ 160,000
- Class of 2022: $ 145,000
- Class of 2023: $ 125,000
- Class of 2024: $ 120,000
- Class of 2025: $ 80,000
For purposes of comparing Susman Godfrey associate bonuses to those of law firms that base bonuses on law school graduation year, here are the median bonuses for Susman Godfrey associates by graduation year:
- 2012 (or earlier): $170,000
- 2013: $ 160,000
- 2014: $ 145,000
- 2015: $ 125,000
- 2016: $ 120,000
- 2017: $ 115,000
- 2018: $ 80,000
Susman Godfrey requires each new associate to complete a federal judicial clerkship before joining the firm. All associates receive unlimited, fully paid vacation; unlimited, fully paid, gender-neutral parental leave; and up to $20,000 of contributions by the firm to their 401(k) account. The firm has a six-year partnership track after joining the firm, with exceptions made for associates who have completed clerkships with the U.S. Supreme Court. This year, every associate eligible for partnership consideration became a full equity partner of the firm (the firm does not have non-equity “partners” or a non-equity track for associates).
Susman Godfrey also furthered its commitment to organizations that work for racial justice. The firm double matched every dollar that its employees donated to organizations advancing racial justice goals and initiatives, and separately, the firm made its own substantial year-end donations in honor of its clients and professional colleagues to these organizations:
Equal Justice Initiative, Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, DREAMchasers, Law School Access Program, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Brooklyn Bail Fund, Texas Defender Service, Sunflower County Freedom Project, Air Alliance Houston, Mothers for Police Accountability, Not This Time.
Managing Partners Kalpana Srinivasan and Neal Manne issued the following statement: “2020 has been a sobering year, with the death of our founder Steve Susman and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our firm was very fortunate to have partners, associates, and other employees who rallied together and worked tirelessly to continue providing extraordinary legal services to our clients. That Susman Godfrey had a truly superb year financially makes us even more proud of the firm and everyone who works for it. Congratulations to our six new partners and to every member of the Susman Godfrey family.”
About Susman Godfrey
Susman Godfrey is a nationwide law firm of more than 130 trial lawyers. It handles high-stakes litigation in a broad range of practice areas and industries, for both plaintiffs and defendants. Its lawyers work with clients to find the fee arrangement—contingent, flat, hourly, or hybrid—that best suits their cases. With a relentless focus on winning at trial, Susman Godfrey has been ranked by Vault as the #1 litigation boutique in America for 10 consecutive years. Visit susmangodfrey.com to learn more about our unique approach to winning cases.
