Even as top law firms have reached new revenue and profitability peaks this decade, not every partner is making more money from year to year.

These days, anywhere from 10% to 30% of partners within one firm may be moving down in compensation, according to law firm management consultants, and some firms are producing faster moves down, helping them pay their top performers. This is a departure from the more collegial days of partnerships, when it was unheard of to cut a partner's compensation, unless a firm sought their ouster, industry observers said. READ MORE