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&lt;p&gt;Law firms may have been &lt;a href=&quot;/blog/vaults-law-blog-legal-careers-and-industry-news/be-thankful-biglaw-bonuses-to-increase-in-2015/&quot;&gt;much more generous&lt;/a&gt; with associate bonuses for 2014 than in recent years. But is increased discretionary compensation just a way to avoid raising base salaries, which have been the same for 8 years? If you ask the more cynical law firm associates, that is certainly the case. Especially if they live in NYC.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here’s what one associate told us:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“The higher bonuses this year were wonderful. I&#39;m very pleased that our firm and its peers are rewarding their associates&#39; hard work. However, salaries have not increased in many, many years.&#160; In that time, NYC housing costs have doubled and other living expenses have risen significantly. Increased salaries and the security they provide are overdue for New York attorneys.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This sentiment represents what many other attorneys told us when they completed the 2015 Vault survey. (Results will be released on a rolling basis this summer, starting next week with the release of the 2016 &lt;a href=&quot;/company-rankings/law/vault-law-100/&quot;&gt;Top 100&lt;/a&gt; list).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And nothing really beats the experience of two partners saying right in front of you how much you DON’T deserve a pay increase:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Year-end bonuses were generous. The salary scale not changing since 2007? Not as generous.&#160; When bonuses were announced, I was in a meeting with a partner. Another partner popped his head in and the two shook their heads and said &#39;ridiculous&#39; right in front of me. To openly say that we are undeserving of increased compensation despite record profits and revenues per lawyer is pretty insulting.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;OUCH! This associate may have had the last laugh this year, but it’s true that until base salaries go up, “market” compensation next year will be anybody’s guess.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;FOLLOW VAULT ON TWITTER&#160;&lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/VaultLaw&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;@VAULTLAW&lt;/a&gt;, INSTAGRAM&#160;&lt;a href=&quot;http://instagram.com/vaultcareers?ref=badge&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;@VaultCareers&lt;/a&gt;&#160;and&#160;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/Vault&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;FACEBOOK&lt;/a&gt;&#160;&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Read More:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/blog/vaults-law-blog-legal-careers-and-industry-news/be-thankful-biglaw-bonuses-to-increase-in-2015/&quot;&gt;Be Thankful: BigLaw Bonuses to Increase for 2014&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/blog/vaults-law-blog-legal-careers-and-industry-news/will-law-firms-increase-salaries-in-2015/&quot;&gt;Will Law Firms Increase Salaries in 2015?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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