Midsize Firms Trim Pay Gap

Amid the law firm layoffs and pay cuts following the 2008 economic crash, smaller firms have been a relatively prosperous haven for employees, offering a silver lining to three tough years.

Firms employing between 35 and 75 lawyers have increased salaries somewhat since the downturn, according to annual surveys by the staffing agency Robert Half Legal. By comparison, the top pay for attorneys at big firms has mostly wobbled, narrowing the traditional salary gap between the larger and smaller firms.

But the agency's Bay Area vice president, Monica Tobin, does not anticipate the trend will last. "There was a slight increase in response to small and midsize firms attracting business during the downturn partly due to their lower rates, but I think the large firms[' raise rates] will catch up."

Nonetheless, the smaller firms are still doing most of the hiring, according to the survey, particularly for attorneys with less than seven years' experience.

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