Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

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

Accounting and Financial Planning for Law FirmsFeaturesLaw Firm FinancialsLaw Firm ManagementLawyer Rates and Arrangements

White Box vs. Black Box Compensation Systems

By J. Mark Santiago
February 01, 2024

It is early winter and amazingly cold, snowy, or rainy in many parts of the U.S. In Buffalo they recorded over 5' of snow in less than a week accompanied by winds of up to 45 mph and the Bills "was robed again" just like in 1992! Being from Western New York, I truly understand what a winter of discontent feels like.

But what depressed me more was a spate of articles in the legal trade publications about a small (but possibly growing) number of law firms that were moving or considering moving to a "Black Box" type of partner compensation systems. A Black Box system is one in which an individual partner's compensation is kept secret from the other partners.

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.

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.

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.

Compliance Officers: Recent Regulatory Guidance and Enforcement Actions and Mitigating the Risk of Personal Liability Image

This article explores legal developments over the past year that may impact compliance officer personal liability.

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.