Average total pay: $256,312

Headquarters: Boston, MA

Associate*For the second year in a row, this law firm is the top-paying Best Company to Work For. Lawyers fresh out of school get starting salaries of $160,000 a year, topped off with fat bonuses. (Non-attorneys are eligible for bonuses too.) Bingham, which prides itself on keeping pay scales "competitive at all times," looked at compensation at other law firms in mid-2007 and immediately boosted pay a hefty 20%.Bingham, which enjoyed a lengthy growth spurt fueled by a series of mergers, pulled in its horns a bit after the financial crunch hit last year. The firm laid off 2.5% of staff, offering severance ranging from four weeks' to six months' pay.