HOUSTON – Houston trial boutique AZA announces it will hike its first-year lawyer salary from the market rate followed by the national Big Law firms of $225,000, up to $235,000. Second-year salaries will also climb $10,000.  

“Our young lawyers aren’t stuck making other people’s outlines. They’re out trying cases, and we’ll pay them more for it. When you out-hustle and out-argue, you should out-earn, too,” said Monica Uddin, AZA’s hiring partner. 

“We’ve long matched New York Big Law salaries, and this year we are raising them $10,000,” said AZA managing partner John Zavitsanos. “We send our new lawyers to court immediately, and they are worth at least as much as their Big Law counterparts, who usually don’t get anything like the experience the AZA associates receive.” 

AZA associates responding anonymously to the Vault Annual Associate Survey praised the firm for the quality of that significant work, a collegial atmosphere and an egalitarian work environment. Vault is a national organization that offers young lawyers career guidance and industry insights. Each year it conducts anonymous surveys of law firm associates to get a picture of what it’s really like to work there.  

The anonymous comments from AZA associates about the work young AZA associates are getting include: 

  • “Substantive assignments from day one, and it is all appropriate for my level. The firm does a great job of giving young associates challenging work to expand their abilities.”   
  • “I have been given amazing opportunities at AZA that almost none of my peers can match.” 
  • “I have direct face-to-face contact with clients and am expected to be able to answer their questions. In four months, I have argued three hearings and am headed to trial two weeks from now.” 
  • “Work is probably the most substantive you can get. Dispositive motion briefing and argument, witness prep, depositions, etc.” 

AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, is a Houston-based law firm that is home to true courtroom lawyers with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, healthcare, intellectual property and business dispute cases. AZA was recognized again by Chambers USA 2025 as among the best in Texas in commercial law and intellectual property; the firm has been listed by Best Lawyers’ Best Law Firms as one of the country’s best commercial litigation firms for 13 years; has been named Litigation Department of the Year by Texas Lawyer three times; and was dubbed a Texas Powerhouse law firm by Law360.