Commercial litigation attorney recruiters, associates and senior associates
Base pay at mid-size and regional firms plateaus around $150,000 from year three through year fourteen. Litigators who move to a larger platform can reach $240,000 to $310,000, and timing matters, since most bonuses pay in December and January.
- Base pay plateaus around $150,000 from year three through year fourteen at mid-size and regional firms.
- Senior associates and of counsel with eight to fourteen years at larger firms reach $240,000 to $310,000.
- Median billable target: 1,900 hours, with the middle half between 1,750 and 1,950.
- Confidential from the first call, and no cost to you. The hiring firm pays our fee.
- Am Law 100
- firms we recruit for, several in the top half
- Am Law 200
- firms we recruit for as well
- 5,000+
- lawyers at firms we run litigation searches for
- 10 states
- states where our litigation searches have run
The firms behind our commercial litigation searches
ITG handles commercial litigation searches for Am Law 100 and Am Law 200 firms and trial boutiques. Those firms employ more than 5,000 lawyers, and our searches span 10 states.
- The hiring firms
- ITG runs commercial litigation searches for Am Law 100 and Am Law 200 firms and trial boutiques. Those searches span 10 states, including Florida, Georgia, Texas, California, New York and North Carolina.
- Active litigation searches
- Attorneys can review open commercial litigation positions directly on our website. Pay is listed where the hiring firm shared it.
- Confidential representation
- Commercial litigation searches remain confidential, with no fees charged to attorneys. We disclose the firm first, and we never share your résumé or name without explicit permission.
What do commercial litigation attorneys make in 2026?
Ideal Talent Group recruits commercial litigation attorneys for mid-size and regional firms across Florida, Texas, Georgia, and California. As of September 2026, the pay, bonus, and billable figures on this page come from ITG's own interview notes and accepted offers at those firms. The table below breaks out base pay by experience.
Billable targets at mid-size and regional firms run a median of 1,900 hours, with the middle half between 1,750 and 1,950. Bonuses mostly cluster at $5,000 to $25,000, and firms that tie the bonus to origination pay $40,000 to $60,000 or more to the litigators who bring in the work.
Some firms with a reputation for generous bonuses paid nothing in 2025. December through January is when most commercial litigation bonuses land, more consistently than in insurance defense, so a fall move should account for a forfeited year end number. Asking for a sign on bonus to cover it is a normal request.
| Experience | Base salary |
|---|---|
| 1 to 2 years | $135,000 |
| 3 to 14 years | about $150,000 |
| 15+ years | $155,000 |
| Senior associates and of counsel at larger firms, 8 to 14 years | $240,000 to $310,000 |
ITG data from mid-size and regional firms as of September 2026.
Updated
What to weigh in a litigation move
What moves your candidacy
We'll help you show depositions you've taken, motions you've argued, and any trial time on your record. We'll also help you point to matters you ran without a partner standing over you, and pull together the strongest writing sample you have.
Bonus timing and forfeiture
A fall move can mean walking away from your year end bonus, so weigh a sign on bonus against what you'd forfeit, and ask your new firm to put a number on the table before you decide.
Origination and bonus structure
Ask how the bonus is calculated and whether any of it is tied to origination, since bonuses linked to business you bring in can pay more than a flat number. Ask what a bonus heavy firm paid out last year.
Moving from insurance defense to commercial litigation
Attorneys coming from insurance defense run into one obstacle most often: limited trial experience. Construction defect and first-party property work are the two backgrounds that most often bridge the gap. Both lead into construction litigation matters at commercial firms.
Common Questions
Is there a recruiter for commercial litigation attorneys?
How much do commercial litigation associates make?
How many billable hours do commercial litigation firms require?
When is the best time of year to move firms as a litigator, and should I wait for my bonus?
Can I move from insurance defense to commercial litigation?
Does it cost anything to use a legal recruiter?
Talk to a recruiter who knows your market
Tell us what you practice and what you'd want in a next seat. A recruiter will reach out, usually within one business day. It's confidential and free, and we don't share résumés or names without your permission.
It's going really well. The team is great and things pick up quickly. I argued a motion yesterday and am already traveling for witness prep today.
Real recruiters who know the legal market.
You work with one person who specializes in your practice and keeps your search confidential.
