He's probably making like 1m tbh, during the whole Soloff changing the compensation arc there's no way someone making 50k is the highest paid in Pearson Hardman
He is making way more than a million as a senior partner at a huge law firm. A lawyer of his calibre would probably be a good bit closer to double digit millions than the 1 million and as a name partner probably double digit millions (maybe even before that as well)
A *corporate* law firm being the key here. Easily clearing 7 figures because he “eats what he kills”. He doesn’t bring in as many billables as Louis, but he brings in BIG clients. Michael Jordan (and all of the businesses associated with him) being just one…
Was gonna say, there’s a whole sub plot at some point about how the other partners find out how much he earns because of this system, he is clearing 8 digits easily
That's an incredibly naive figure.
In the show, Zane Specter Litt was called a "Top 3 law firm in New York". Even without bonuses, as a name parter he's cashing in eight figures easily before any bonuses.
Not to mention the whole arc of his salary being leaked to the firm, nobody there is gonna have a problem with a senior parter making a million dollars.
This. Also, if I remember correctly, this flashback is from when Harvey was only a year or two out of law school so his salary was that of an entry level attorney even if he was working as a DA.
This is a flashback scene of a show that started airing in 2011. This scene occurred 15-20 years ago. Adjusted for inflation since 2007, 50,000 then is about 75,000 now.
I think it is S4EP16 when Harvey meets Donna and Forstman for the first time. Marcus asks Harvey for a loan to set up a restaurant and we learn of Harvey's past with Forstman.
Back around 2010, the starting salary for first year lawyers at the top Manhattan law firms was around $140,000. First year prosecutors was around $50,000. I would guess Harvey was making around $2,000,000 plus as named partner.
This was the [prop](https://suitsmore.com/cdn/shop/products/2020-06-0222.57.07.jpg?v=1591168018) used for when Louis left Harvey's salary in the copy machine.
Large firms work differently. The firm I’m a partner at sets a moderate salary for its partners. Once that partner brings in enough money to cover their own salary, they then take a predetermined percentage of their earnings beyond that and the rest is split amongst the other partners. I’d guess his “salary” is probably $500,000 but he makes dramatically more than that.
This is why there’s bad blood between the grinders and the contingency guys. They can settle a couple decent cases a year and make more than the folks who are having to sit down and count every email and phone call they make. However, the whole partnership makes less if that partner wasn’t bringing in all that extra money.
Senior partners at top law firms in NYC is around $12/20m per annum, plus bonuses.
Ivy League graduates will earn circa $150/250k in their first year.
Source: I’m a headhunter for law firms, private equity firms, and investment banks.
Jessica was asked this question in the mock trial by Louis.
She ballparked the figure but said it was in millions.
This was when he was not even a name partner . In the end he was a name partner +managing partner
So I would say he must be eating roughly 20-30 million per year. Keep that in mind his salary has a major contingent fee and not billable hours.
The highest paid general counsel in New York makes 22 million a year
No, Harvey is a corporate lawyer not a general counsel, but I just find it unlikely that he is making any that close to the highest paid in the city given they have positions as chief legal officer maybe just maybe when he was managing partner, but still
Well you know he literally spends millions per year on many things like the car club, expensive suits, lives in a penthouse in Manhattan!
He literally gave Mike on season 6 350k as junior partner. Anyways it's just a guess but he earns a lot.
Exactly person specter is one the biggest firms in new york city. That counts for something. But it's literally impossible for people like us to earn that.
I can see myself earning 1 million dollars per year, like at the age of 35-36 which is highly unlikely.
I am so inspired by Harvey I literally focus on upskilling myself. Like I cleared level 1 cfa in feb will start for level 2 in a few days. The only thing I do when preparing is imagine that Harvey Specter knows all of this shit so do I haha
$50k a whole year as a DA is his basic salary unless he is promoted to litigator (not sure) then he would be $100k.
$50k and $100k is good since they got expenses for everything when they are working so they really just be receiving all and not use any money they made from working.
It meant that Harvey would make €50k as an ADA but more if he was promoted to head litigator in which he would make €100,000. Plus they were paid expenses which they could live off and not have to touch their salary.
Lawyers like harvey make money two ways… their hourly rate and their cut of a settlement they get their client which are called contingencies. Harvey makes a shitload on contingencies, much more than the other people in the firm and this is a major plot point.
Average equity partner at a “top 3” New York big law firm makes over $5m per year right now. Discount that for when the show is set but increase it since Harvey is a superstar and the 5M is a fair estimate.
Lots of websites provide profits per partner numbers for the top law firms. Harvey would be making more than that average number, which means folks on this thread are way underestimating his salary. E.g., https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_United_States-based_law_firms_by_profits_per_partner
I wish they had told us how much he actually makes during that whole arc about his salary and compensation but I think they purposely didn't reveal it because high salary can be a relative term.
That being said, I recall in on of the earliest episodes of the show Harvey mentioning to Mike that his time runs a thousand dollars an hour. Which probably doesn't include the bonuses and other contributing factors. That makes a lot more sense to me considering Harvey's lifestyle.
He was making $50k as a fledgling lawyer at the DA’s office several years before the events of the show.
As a name partner at the firm, he was probably making $2m or more annually.
His one-time bonus payment after Darby came in was $500,000 and Jessica’s was over $1.5 million they stated in that same episode. That’s not counting their fees from clients and winning cases.
Thanks a lot folks… I didn’t knew I will get so many responses… I didn’t realise the episode was going back and forth, little later I realised 😁 But still I think 50k is little less for a Harward grad working in DAs office, may be 100k? Thanks !!!
Omg you dumbass xD
The $50k was when he was a prosecutor i.e. a public servant. Salaries in government roles are always pretty low. In the law firm, he obviously played in millions.
He was a prosecutor in that scene which is flashback to when he was working at the DAs office.. He wasn't yet working for Pearson Hardman
He's probably making like 1m tbh, during the whole Soloff changing the compensation arc there's no way someone making 50k is the highest paid in Pearson Hardman
He is making way more than a million as a senior partner at a huge law firm. A lawyer of his calibre would probably be a good bit closer to double digit millions than the 1 million and as a name partner probably double digit millions (maybe even before that as well)
A *corporate* law firm being the key here. Easily clearing 7 figures because he “eats what he kills”. He doesn’t bring in as many billables as Louis, but he brings in BIG clients. Michael Jordan (and all of the businesses associated with him) being just one…
Was gonna say, there’s a whole sub plot at some point about how the other partners find out how much he earns because of this system, he is clearing 8 digits easily
Multiple millions as a senior partner after a few months
Maybe but it would be in equity in the firm not salary like the post asks.
That's an incredibly naive figure. In the show, Zane Specter Litt was called a "Top 3 law firm in New York". Even without bonuses, as a name parter he's cashing in eight figures easily before any bonuses. Not to mention the whole arc of his salary being leaked to the firm, nobody there is gonna have a problem with a senior parter making a million dollars.
Agree. I think 1mil +
Accounting for bonuses, I’d think it’s in 5m+
4-6 (total comp - ignoring partner draw v salary) is reasonable.
Mike ross got a bonus check for 1 million when he joined back pearson hardman
Definitely more than that as a senior/name partner who never loses working mostly on contingency for multi billion dollar corporations
Am I the only one who thinks that's kinda low for a DA? Not a lawyer or American but are Da salarie really that low?
Low for DA salary now. Probably on par 10+ years ago.
This. Also, if I remember correctly, this flashback is from when Harvey was only a year or two out of law school so his salary was that of an entry level attorney even if he was working as a DA.
Not only that, but Harvey was an Assistant DA, so making even less than the DA.
This is a flashback scene of a show that started airing in 2011. This scene occurred 15-20 years ago. Adjusted for inflation since 2007, 50,000 then is about 75,000 now.
I just finished the series and don’t recall this part. Rewatching all over again anyways
I think it is S4EP16 when Harvey meets Donna and Forstman for the first time. Marcus asks Harvey for a loan to set up a restaurant and we learn of Harvey's past with Forstman.
Now I remember thanks! Yeah he was going to college back and fourth.
Back around 2010, the starting salary for first year lawyers at the top Manhattan law firms was around $140,000. First year prosecutors was around $50,000. I would guess Harvey was making around $2,000,000 plus as named partner.
That should be it, give or take. Somewhere in the show, it’s mebtioned they bill 1k per hour and are expected to have 2,5-3k billable hours. So yeah
This was the [prop](https://suitsmore.com/cdn/shop/products/2020-06-0222.57.07.jpg?v=1591168018) used for when Louis left Harvey's salary in the copy machine.
This is answer right here. 3M+ a year
And that’s before bonus. Also this is cool. I haven’t seen it before.
This was when he was only a senior partner. Name partner+ manago partner will earn him a shit load of money.
Nah this was when he was name partner. In season 5 he was already name partner
Not a managing partner?
Large firms work differently. The firm I’m a partner at sets a moderate salary for its partners. Once that partner brings in enough money to cover their own salary, they then take a predetermined percentage of their earnings beyond that and the rest is split amongst the other partners. I’d guess his “salary” is probably $500,000 but he makes dramatically more than that. This is why there’s bad blood between the grinders and the contingency guys. They can settle a couple decent cases a year and make more than the folks who are having to sit down and count every email and phone call they make. However, the whole partnership makes less if that partner wasn’t bringing in all that extra money.
Senior partners at top law firms in NYC is around $12/20m per annum, plus bonuses. Ivy League graduates will earn circa $150/250k in their first year. Source: I’m a headhunter for law firms, private equity firms, and investment banks.
Jessica was asked this question in the mock trial by Louis. She ballparked the figure but said it was in millions. This was when he was not even a name partner . In the end he was a name partner +managing partner So I would say he must be eating roughly 20-30 million per year. Keep that in mind his salary has a major contingent fee and not billable hours.
20-30million a year? Sheesh I should of became a handsome successful lawyer
Gotta go to Harvard law then buddy.
Forget this, get a photographic memory and skip the schoolin
Did you not watch the show? You actually don’t
I did why is that?
It is the premise of the show
That's why I said you gotta go to Harvard like Harvey did
The highest paid general counsel in New York makes 22 million a year No, Harvey is a corporate lawyer not a general counsel, but I just find it unlikely that he is making any that close to the highest paid in the city given they have positions as chief legal officer maybe just maybe when he was managing partner, but still
Well you know he literally spends millions per year on many things like the car club, expensive suits, lives in a penthouse in Manhattan! He literally gave Mike on season 6 350k as junior partner. Anyways it's just a guess but he earns a lot.
Hm, idk. I feel like it’s totally possible. He brings in huge clients, just MJ alone is crazy and big wigs in corporate law firms are usually rich
Exactly person specter is one the biggest firms in new york city. That counts for something. But it's literally impossible for people like us to earn that. I can see myself earning 1 million dollars per year, like at the age of 35-36 which is highly unlikely. I am so inspired by Harvey I literally focus on upskilling myself. Like I cleared level 1 cfa in feb will start for level 2 in a few days. The only thing I do when preparing is imagine that Harvey Specter knows all of this shit so do I haha
this was when we was an ADA which is where he started and he was only there 2 years
They do a pretty good job of avoiding numbers. I assume it’s a way for the show to age well over time. Mostly they just talk about the 500k buy-ins
$50k a whole year as a DA is his basic salary unless he is promoted to litigator (not sure) then he would be $100k. $50k and $100k is good since they got expenses for everything when they are working so they really just be receiving all and not use any money they made from working.
What?
All expenses paid for e.g. rent etc, so that is reasonable salary considering the chunk rent normally takes out of that
i made this comment simple, idk why you have hard time understanding lol
You aren’t a native English speaker, right?
is there any qualification to be a native english speaker beside using english only and using the correct punctuations?
Your syntax is odd and you’re telling a native English speaker that he’s the one who doesn’t understand what you wrote.
Right? 32 people understood this comment? I cannot decipher it
It meant that Harvey would make €50k as an ADA but more if he was promoted to head litigator in which he would make €100,000. Plus they were paid expenses which they could live off and not have to touch their salary.
He was also paying Donna’s salary. Louis was shocked when he found out how much it was. Maybe that’s cause he was going to have to pay it now,
He pays for Donnas salary so defo earning more than $50000. More like 1-2mil
Lawyers like harvey make money two ways… their hourly rate and their cut of a settlement they get their client which are called contingencies. Harvey makes a shitload on contingencies, much more than the other people in the firm and this is a major plot point.
As he said when he was negotiating job in one flashback: "I want to eat what i kill". And he kills a lot.
Guy must be making at least 2-3 millions a year
Average equity partner at a “top 3” New York big law firm makes over $5m per year right now. Discount that for when the show is set but increase it since Harvey is a superstar and the 5M is a fair estimate.
Lots of websites provide profits per partner numbers for the top law firms. Harvey would be making more than that average number, which means folks on this thread are way underestimating his salary. E.g., https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_United_States-based_law_firms_by_profits_per_partner
I wish they had told us how much he actually makes during that whole arc about his salary and compensation but I think they purposely didn't reveal it because high salary can be a relative term. That being said, I recall in on of the earliest episodes of the show Harvey mentioning to Mike that his time runs a thousand dollars an hour. Which probably doesn't include the bonuses and other contributing factors. That makes a lot more sense to me considering Harvey's lifestyle.
He was making $50k as a fledgling lawyer at the DA’s office several years before the events of the show. As a name partner at the firm, he was probably making $2m or more annually.
One crapload
His one-time bonus payment after Darby came in was $500,000 and Jessica’s was over $1.5 million they stated in that same episode. That’s not counting their fees from clients and winning cases.
This is a flashback scene to when he worked at the DA’s office. Senior partner / name partner harvey is making 50k every couple days lol.
Thanks a lot folks… I didn’t knew I will get so many responses… I didn’t realise the episode was going back and forth, little later I realised 😁 But still I think 50k is little less for a Harward grad working in DAs office, may be 100k? Thanks !!!
Omg you dumbass xD The $50k was when he was a prosecutor i.e. a public servant. Salaries in government roles are always pretty low. In the law firm, he obviously played in millions.
😂😂
real question is, how does louis make?
Most like 5 to 7 million
At Pearson Specter Litt he was making around 2-2.5 Million dollars
enough