Foley & Lardner Moves Associate Pay Toward Milbank Scale From February 2027

Foley & Lardner plans to overhaul its associate advancement and pay structure, with the changes taking effect February 1, 2027, according to Above the Law. The outlet reports that the firm brought in $1.45 billion in gross revenue in 2025, and that the changes will apply across all of its U.S. offices.

Above the Law describes the revisions as "enhancements" to the firm's entire advancement and compensation structure, designed to bring the firm in line with the market. Above the Law says that the firm taps out its largesse with first-year senior counsel, leaving Milbank's $455K salary for eighth-years on the cutting room floor.

The hours requirements are part of the package. According to Above the Law, Foley associates will be expected to bill 1,950 hours annually, including credited pro bono hours, plus 150 investment hours, while first-years are expected to bill 1,900 hours.

The Milbank benchmark

The benchmark Foley is measuring itself against is Milbank's scale. Milbank LLP is increasing associate pay by $10,000 to $20,000 annually, with new salary floors of $235,000 and pay reaching as high as $455,000 for more experienced attorneys, according to Law360. Bloomberg Law reported that Winston Taylor has matched Milbank's scale.

Other firms have also matched. At DLA Piper, while the base salary matches the Milbank scale for the upcoming year, this adjustment is not retroactive to any summer salary increases implemented by Milbank.

What this means for in-house counsel

Outside counsel costs are one area counsel may want to watch. General counsel with Foley on panel or with active matters may want to ask for the firm's 2027 rate schedule before budgets are set for the new year, and to check whether any rate increase is tied to the new pay scale.

The hours expectations may also matter for staffing. A 1,950-hour target with 150 investment hours shapes how much associate time a firm will bill to a matter and how much it will spend on firm development. In-house teams that track associate hours on invoices may want to compare Foley's targets with the time they are being billed, and to ask how the firm plans to handle pro bono credit and investment time on matters where the company is paying for the work.