Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Subjective And Objective Compensation Systems

By Michael Short and Joseph Altonji
October 02, 2013

As we sift through the results from our recently published Partner Compensation System Survey, the data draws us to consider a wide variety of questions about this vitally important management and leadership system. One critical question that deserves somewhat more detailed consideration is the basic structures of the systems used in the legal world today. While the majority of our survey respondents report using some form of subjective system, about 15% of the firms report that they use a purely formulaic/objective system.

From a theoretical or normative perspective, there is no “right” or “wrong” system. Each option has its strengths, weaknesses and applicability to any given firm's culture, leadership style, and the behaviors that the leaders want to incentivize and reward. Systems that will work well in one firm would fail abysmally in others, and we generally find that even many systems that look very much alike “on paper” are somewhat different in application.

This premium content is locked for Accounting and Financial Planning for Law Firms subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs Image

The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.

Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations Image

This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.