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As a lawyer, your income depends on your skillset, reputation, firm size, service demand and geographic region. Many attorneys work at large law firms while others opt to practice independently.

Corporate attorneys have the potential to earn millions; personal injury and criminal lawyers also enjoy high salaries.

Corporate Attorney

Corporate attorneys typically make the highest salaries due to helping companies manage assets, comply with regulations, and negotiate deals. Many corporate attorneys work for large law firms in larger cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago where there are clients willing to pay exorbitant fees for top-quality legal representation.

A lawyer’s salary also depends on their specialization of law knowledge. Attorneys with extensive expertise and experience often earn higher salaries; for instance, patent lawyers typically make more money because of their in-depth understanding of complex intellectual property laws.

There are other factors that contribute to an attorney’s salary, including his or her type of law firm and geographic area where they practice. A larger firm often pays higher wages to top talent. Furthermore, which law school an attorney attended has an effect as top schools draw the best and brightest graduates who subsequently impact his or her salary.

Nicole Jones is one of the highest-paid lawyers, estimated at an estimated annual earning of an estimated $4.5 Million as General Counsel at Cigna. With her law degree from New York University and experience working on mergers, acquisitions and other business transactions. Robert Watts of AT&T made another impressive annual earning with an estimated annual earning of $7,073,746, after spearheading their 2011 merger with T-Mobile.

Amy Schulman is Johnson & Johnson’s general counsel and earns approximately $8,975,035. In this capacity she oversees their nutrition division as well as legal functions. Robert Reeves earned $6,535,898 during this same timeframe at Anadarko Petroleum.

Family attorneys also make significant money as they assist families through the emotional process of divorce. They assist in custody arrangements, alimony payments and other crucial legal aspects. Immigration lawyers make even more by helping their clients navigate through the complicated application processes for citizenship or visas.

Intellectual Property Lawyer

Every time you watch a movie, download music, use a computer or phone or any other modern technology device, intellectual property law likely played an integral part in developing and protecting these innovations. As such, IP attorneys can be highly lucrative with annual salary packages of $200,000-plus being commonplace.

IP attorneys assist companies and individuals in protecting their intellectual investments proactively by filing, prosecuting and defending patent applications, trademarks and copyrights proactively. In addition, they help manage unapproved use and infringement. Technological advancement has generated an increased need for IP counsel due to increased demands due to growing proprietary brand ownership; creating an expanding market full of top legal talent.

Most highly compensated IP attorneys specialize in in-demand practice areas and are open to leveraging their legal skills in business development and client relationship roles. Aspiring IP attorneys should consider specialising in patent litigation, information technology or pharmaceuticals for maximum earnings potential. Specialization and career progression play key roles when calculating an attorney’s earnings potential.

Patent attorneys typically earn the highest salaries among legal professions, with top law firm partners sometimes earning over a $1 Million annually. Furthermore, in-house counsel with expertise in patent, copyright and trademark can sometimes earn as much as $400,000.

Duane Morris attorneys are known for their expertise in complex patent litigation cases and are regularly recognized by national publications for their strength and depth in intellectual property and commercial litigation matters. Kirkland & Ellis stands out for its strong work in complex patent litigation as well as Hatch-Waxman matters, leadership in patent prosecution, strategic advice on transaction issues pertaining to patent rights, and Hatch-Waxman-related work.

Intellectual property lawyers often work long hours; lawyers at large firms typically logging over 60 billable hours per week in order to meet revenue goals and profit expectations. Their specialized skills also require years of training and experience for perfect mastery – as a result, becoming an IP lawyer comes with significant financial risks that graduating students should carefully weigh when considering becoming one – however intellectual property law can prove both rewarding and lucrative careers for top legal talent.

Real Estate Lawyer

Real estate transactions can be among the most complex and consequential in terms of financial resources, so buyers and sellers rely heavily on real estate attorneys to guide them through this complex process. They help negotiate and draft necessary legal documents and contracts; assist with mortgages or financing options; represent parties involved in civil remedies through lawsuits; as well as provide representation in civil remedies proceedings against negligent parties.

Real estate lawyers’ salaries can depend on a number of factors, including experience level, location and specialization. Experienced real estate attorneys tend to command higher salaries due to having established themselves within their field; as they’ve had more time to build their brand name.

Furthermore, the size of the law firm that employs an attorney can have an effect on his or her salary. Larger firms tend to offer higher pay for employees due to having more staff and resources at their disposal; additionally, attorneys in more populous or rural regions often earn more.

Real estate attorneys have numerous ways they can increase their salary, such as switching employers or enrolling in additional training/education programs and gaining management experience. But ultimately the key element in increasing one’s earnings lies in finding work with an appropriate compensation package based on one’s skills and experiences.

Real estate attorneys who choose to work for local governments often earn more than those employed by private firms.

Average real estate lawyers typically earn $94,745 annually, which exceeds the national average of $84,016. Rochester and Framingham in Massachusetts are some of the highest-paying cities for real estate attorneys; if you want to increase your earnings as an attorney in this field, considering moving there can help you maximize your career success.

Criminal Attorney

Criminal attorneys represent those charged with crimes such as murder, robbery and assault. While this area of legal profession may seem glamorous to some, due to high-profile criminal cases making headlines, their earnings potential remains fairly steady.

The type of cases an attorney handles has an effect on his or her salary levels; for instance, attorneys who specialize in white collar crime typically earn more than those handling petty theft cases. Firm size also plays an impactful role; large law firms tend to pay higher salaries than smaller practices.

Education is also an important consideration when hiring an attorney, although a bachelor’s degree may be sufficient. A higher-level degree such as master of business administration could significantly boost earning potential – for instance an attorney with this qualification may make more than someone with only a bachelor’s.

Though law can be an esteemed and rewarding career choice, most attorneys do not pursue it solely for its financial rewards. Instead, their passion and desire to assist those in need often drive them toward this profession; those more focused on profit may want to consider other areas of law with greater income potential.

Some attorneys are paid a fixed salary while others may charge hourly or case rates; those paid by case tend to have more flexibility when it comes to negotiating their fee with clients. When choosing a criminal defense attorney, it is vitally important that they offer fair fees.

Personal injury, bankruptcy and probate attorneys are some of the highest-paid lawyers nationwide. Expert attorneys in these fields have secured multi-million dollar settlements for clients making them highly sought after professionals in their respective industries. Most commonly employed in larger cities with great financial security.