Are Associate Bonuses Counterproductive?
Law firm bonuses are the rule rather than the exception, but one law firm manager tells the Legal Intelligencer he thinks bonuses are counterproductive.
Alexander Henderson III, managing partner of Hartman Underhill & Brubaker in Lancaster, Pa., said he doesn’t think its right to reward associates based on the health of the national economy.
“It’s been our view that bonuses are counterproductive, and the best way to compensate and reward associates is through salaries,” he said. “I don’t want next year’s economy to affect how they’re compensated.”
Other commentators have suggested that bonuses based on hours logged can result in overbilling and excessive competition, according to a 2001-2002 report (PDF) by the ABA Commission on Billable Hours.
