New equity partners at Kirkland & Ellis will be paid a fixed salary of around $1.5m in their first year after promotion, as a shorter partner track kicks in at the US legal giant.

Those making the jump from non-share to equity partner at the firm will spend a year on around $1.5m in fixed compensation, people familiar with the matter said, before graduating to the firm’s variable profit-sharing pool, which starts at around $2.5m.