Compensation, GC

How and why do GCs get raises? Two case studies

  • On January 31, 2026
How and why do GCs get raises? Two case studies: 1. Qualcomm GC Ann Chaplin’s comp has increased the last 3 years per Corporate Counsel. In 2025 she made $9M, up from $6.9M in 2024. Of her 2025 pay, the large majority was stock (78% of total pay at $7.1M), and her base rose from […]
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Compensation, GC

GC Pay: A Case Study

  • On January 18, 2026
GC pay and raises are often a black box, so I thought it’d be helpful to look at a case study. Pay is usually a mix of base + bonus + equity (the largest component). This scenario was the case with Jennifer Salinas, GC of Cerence, a small public technology company that does AI-powered voice […]
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Compensation, Market

Who is paying extraordinary comp in 2026?

  • On January 4, 2026
No surprise, it’s AI and OpenAI in particular. WSJ reports the company is “paying employees more than any tech startup in recent history” at $1.5M each in stock-based pay on average, which is 7x higher Google’s pre-IPO levels and 34x the average for 18 large tech companies over the last 25 years. It makes up […]
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Compensation, GC, Inhouse

Roku & Snap land new GCs with huge stock grants

  • On December 14, 2025
Roku and Snap gave substantial equity grants to land their new GCs, per Corporate Counsel/Recorder. In November, Roku hired Chris Handman, a veteran GC including at Snap, and gave him a $9.2M equity grant that vested quarterly over two years. Two weeks after Roku’s hire, Snap hired Zachary Briers from Munger Tolles and awarded him a […]
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Compensation

Proven scripts for negotiating in-house pay

  • On December 7, 2025
When you get an offer, it’s always worth negotiating respectfully! This post gives 10 good scripts. The ones that work best for Bay Area in-house jobs: Citing another offer (this is the strongest lever): “I have other offers but prefer here – can we align?” Bay Area companies are used to candidates getting multiple offers and […]
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Compensation, Market

What’s Going on with Startup Comp?

  • On March 30, 2025
Carta just reported on the state of startup compensation! The good news: Average salaries and equity grants rose slightly. Layoffs are at the lowest point in 3 years. These industries grew headcount: energy, hw, med device. Ready for the bad news? Startups “haven’t been this reluctant to hire in at least 5 years.” Net headcount […]
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Compensation, Offer

How to Negotiate Comp Avoiding Common Pitfalls

  • On February 17, 2025
I often click on career tips to see if they are any good. And I liked this one, 4 Red Flags to Avoid When Discussing Salary, by career guru Sho Dewan. I go through his tips below and customize them for in-house counsel negotiating their comp: Be confident, but not aggressive or hostile. Yes. While […]
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Compensation, GC

Top Paid GCs? Yes, They’re in California

  • On February 5, 2025
Law.com reported the top paid GC as of 2024 is Alphabet’s top lawyer Kent Walker, who made $27.3M. A close second is Apple’s Kate Adams at $27.18M. Her base was $1M (where it’s been the last 6 years), stock valued at $22.16M, and cash incentive compensation at $4M. Her total comp has been “virtually unchanged […]
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