Liu Shur Kravis: Matches Milbank Salary Scale for Associates

• Liu Shur Kravis LLP (LSK), a D.C. litigation boutique founded five months ago, has matched the new Milbank salary scale.
• Associates at LSK will now earn between $235,000 and $455,000 annually, effective immediately.
• The firm was established in April 2026 by three former federal prosecutors from Skadden, MoloLamken, and Munger, Tolles & Olson.
• LSK focuses on high-stakes white-collar criminal defense, government investigations, complex civil litigation, and crisis management.
• This move by a young boutique firm contrasts with the slower adoption of the new scale by many larger Am Law 100 firms.

The decision by a five-month-old boutique firm, comprising only three founding partners, to match the Milbank scale is particularly noteworthy.

Liu Shur Kravis LLP (LSK), a Washington, D.C.-based litigation boutique, has announced its decision to match the new Milbank salary scale, effective immediately. This move, communicated via a memo from founding partners Jessie Liu, Justin Shur, and Jonathan Kravis, establishes associate compensation ranging from $235,000 to $455,000 annually, with the specific amount contingent on the associate's class year.

LSK, which was launched in April 2026, has made this significant compensation adjustment just five months after its inception. The firm's swift adoption of the Milbank scale highlights its commitment to attracting and retaining top legal talent in the competitive D.C. market. This decision positions the nascent firm squarely alongside established industry leaders in terms of associate pay, directly impacting the Liu Shur Kravis Milbank salary scale for its legal professionals.

The firm's founders, Jessie Liu, Justin Shur, and Jonathan Kravis, are all former federal prosecutors who departed their previous roles at prominent firms—Skadden, MoloLamken, and Munger, Tolles & Olson, respectively—to establish LSK. Their vision was to create a lean, partner-driven firm specifically focused on high-stakes legal work.

LSK specializes in critical areas such as white-collar criminal defense, government investigations, complex civil litigation, and crisis management. Despite its recent founding, the firm has quickly amassed a substantial caseload, described in the memo as a “full docket of complex, high-stakes matters.” These engagements span across various major enforcement authorities in the United States and involve litigation in key legal hubs including D.C., New York, and California, underscoring the firm's rapid operational expansion and the demand for its specialized services. This rapid success likely underpins the firm's ability to offer competitive LSK associate compensation match.

LSK's prompt adoption of the new Milbank scale stands in stark contrast to the more cautious approach taken by many larger legal entities. Numerous Am Law 100 firms, which boast hundreds of attorneys and billions in revenue, have been notably slow to implement the updated compensation structure. This delay is often attributed to a prevailing industry tendency to await a definitive move from Cravath, a firm widely regarded as a bellwether for associate salaries.

The decision by a five-month-old boutique firm, comprising only three founding partners, to match the Milbank scale is particularly noteworthy. It signals a proactive strategy to compete for elite talent, even as larger, more established firms deliberate. This move by a Milbank scale boutique firm could exert pressure on other D.C. litigation firm pay scale structures, especially within the specialized white-collar defense firm compensation landscape, as firms vie for the most qualified legal professionals in a highly competitive market.

This article details a US law firm's compensation strategy and has no direct practical legal or compliance implication for African lawyers or compliance officers. It serves primarily as market intelligence on global legal talent trends.

Source: Original reporting via industry analysis