AZA announced a $235,000 first-year associate base salary in September 2025, and a reported wave of large firms adopted the same first-year benchmark after Milbank began a new salary cycle in June 2026. That is the sense in which Big Law “caught up”: reported convergence on a first-year base-pay figure, not a universal raise across the industry or proof that AZA prompted the later moves.
What AZA raised in September 2025
Houston trial boutique Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing (AZA) announced on September 22, 2025, that it would raise first-year associate base pay from $225,000 to $235,000. The firm also said second-year associate salaries would increase by $10,000. Its announcement did not provide a complete class-year salary grid or bonus schedule. AZA’s announcement.
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These are base salaries, not total compensation. AZA described $225,000 as the rate followed by national Big Law firms at the time; that wording refers to a prominent-firm benchmark, not a uniform salary paid by every large law firm.
Why AZA said it was paying more
AZA linked the increase to its associates’ early involvement in litigation. Hiring partner Monica Uddin said, “Our young lawyers aren’t stuck making other people’s outlines. They’re out trying cases, and we’ll pay them more for it. When you out-hustle and out-argue, you should out-earn, too.” AZA’s announcement.
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In an interview with The Texas Lawbook, Uddin said a couple of first-year associates had taken active roles in large civil trials within their first few months, including witness examinations and opening statements. That is her account of examples at the firm, not a measure of the experience of every AZA associate. The Texas Lawbook’s report.
Managing partner John Zavitsanos said AZA had long matched New York Big Law salaries and was raising them by $10,000. He also argued that AZA associates’ early courtroom experience made them worth at least as much as their Big Law counterparts. That value and experience comparison is Zavitsanos’s view; the available reports do not independently compare work or training across firms. AZA’s announcement.
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How large firms later matched the $235,000 figure
Above the Law reported that Milbank initiated a new $235,000 first-year scale on June 2, 2026, followed by more than a dozen firms adopting that first-year benchmark during the salary cycle. The comparison is between first-year base salaries: AZA announced $235,000 in September 2025, and the later reported firms reached that same figure after Milbank moved in June 2026. Above the Law’s 2026 salary tracker.
That chronology supports saying a wave of firms matched AZA’s first-year figure. It does not show that every large firm adopted it, establish a complete firm-by-firm scale, or show that AZA caused or influenced Milbank’s decision. Above the Law’s October 2, 2026 coverage likewise cautioned against reading sequence as causation. Above the Law’s October 2026 update.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why $225,000 was not a universal Big Law salary
NALP’s 2025 Associate Salary Survey summary said many large firms raised entry-level salaries to $225,000 in late 2023 and early 2024. But at the survey’s January 1, 2025 reference date, $225,000 had not become the prevailing entry-level wage across all law firms—or even across all BigLaw. The later $235,000 reports should be read with the same care: a widely reported benchmark is not proof of a market-wide rate. NALP’s 2025 survey summary.
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What the pay comparison does—and does not—tell you
- For first-year base pay: AZA announced $235,000 in September 2025; Above the Law reported that more than a dozen firms adopted the same first-year benchmark in June 2026.
- For second-year pay: AZA announced a $10,000 increase, but its announcement did not state the full salary grid.
- For total compensation: These figures do not include a stated bonus schedule, so they cannot establish or compare total compensation.
- For firm-by-firm or office comparisons: The available reporting does not establish every firm’s adoption, geographic coverage, effective dates, or class-year salaries.
- For training and workload: The sources describe AZA’s stated early-trial model but do not provide a like-for-like comparison of hours, workload, trial opportunities, or associate experience across firms.
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