Ben Thomson

Elon Musk’s Legal Ace Hits $3K/Hour in Landmark Legal Fee Benchmark

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Alex Spiro, the go-to litigator for Elon Musk and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, now bills clients $3,000 per hour—a figure cementing his status among Manhattan’s most expensive lawyers. Or in fact any US lawyers.

At Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Spiro and global co-managing partner William Burck lead a pricing tier that reflects the fast-growing climb of premium legal services across the US, with firm partners charging between $1,860 and $3,000 hourly.

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Are BigLaw Fees Outpacing Reality?

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Billing rates at Big Law continue to soar, leaving even the most jaded GCs with a touch of vertigo. But as we navigate the choppy waters of 2025 – complete with AI fever dreams, inflation headaches, and a freshly minted administration in D.C. the question remains as to how long this ever-rising move can continue?

It doesn’t seem that long ago when hitting $1,000 an hour felt audacious.

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Linklaters AI Assistants Move From Failing Grade to Passing Mark

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Linklaters Puts Robot Lawyers to the Legal Test Ben Thomson, Legal affairs writer Magic Circle firm Linklaters puts AI through rigorous legal exams – and the results might surprise you. In a bold experiment that reads like science fiction but is very much our present reality, Magic Circle firm Linklaters has been subjecting artificial intelligence

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Neal Katyal: The Star Litigator Who Moves Mountains (and Firms)

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Neal Katyal’s office is likely the only place where a Sikh bracelet, a pair of well-worn socks, and a Supreme Court robe share shelf space. The 54-year-old lawyer, who recently stunned the legal world by jumping from Hogan Lovells to Milbank to lead its appellate practice, has built a career on defying expectations—one landmark case at a time.
Born in Chicago to Indian immigrant parents—a pediatrician mother and engineer father—Katyal initially seemed destined for medicine.

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The Surprising Career Shift Rocking London’s Legal Scene

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London’s Junior Lawyers Are Ditching Public Markets for Private Equity Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor The London legal scene continues to change as younger lawyers are increasingly moving towards private equity roles, stimulated by big money and the impact of US law firms in London. The change for London lawyers also reflects broader economic trends

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Latham’s Leap Sees Profit Surge Propels Firm to New Heights

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Latham & Watkins Boosts Partner Profit-Shares Ben Thomson, LawFuel Big Law & Lists editor Latham & Watkins has long stood in the shadow of its more profitable peers, and is poised for a dramatic surge in partner compensation. The firm is set to catapult its profit-sharing units by a staggering 17 percent for 2024, a

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You Won’t Believe What These 15 Ex-Lawyers Are Doing Now

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 15 Jaw-Dropping Career Switches You Have to See to Believe Ben Thomson, LawFuel editor When law students dream of their future careers, most envision courtrooms and client meetings. But some law graduates have blazed entirely different trails, trading legal briefs for movie scripts, campaign speeches, retain and hospitality business, sport and activism. Their stories reveal

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The Great Law Firm Bonus Debacle of 2024 Sees Biglaw’s Blunders and Backpedaling

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Ben Thomson, BigLaw editor The great Perkins Coie & Hogan Lovells backdown on the bonus front has seen Big Law play chicken with their talent pool and boy, did it ever backfire. In a world where associates are the lifeblood pumping through the veins of legal powerhouses, the annual bonus season is somewhat akin to

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The Great Bonus Divide And How Top Firms Are Splitting on Special Payments

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Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor While most big law firms are handing out both regular year-end bonuses and special bonuses this year, a couple of major players – Hogan Lovells and Perkins Coie – decided to skip the special bonus part – until now. The regular year-end bonuses range from $20,000 to $115,000 depending on

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