Returning Bonuses if I Renege

My firm pushed my analyst start date forward by a few months a few months ago. This was a blessing in disguise as it has given me time to consider whether I want to do IB and explore other options more aligned with my career aspirations. I recently secured a strategy/corp dev offer at a unicorn startup - I love the role, people, and greater mission. I am strongly considering reneging on my offer. However, the problem is that I would have to return all the bonuses the firm has already provided me, totaling about ~20k.

The employment contract I signed last summer says I need to return my signing bonus (pre-tax) if I don't stay with the firm for 1.5 years after my start date. In addition, my firm provided a few thousand to compensate incoming analysts during the waiting period between graduation and the new anticipated start date. If anyone else has been in a similar situation, would I have to return this new bonus on top of my original signing bonus if I reneged? What are some other implications that I am not considering for reneging? Should I ask someone knowledgeable about contract law to review my employment contract? 

1 Comments
 

In commodi aperiam velit nostrum culpa quae veniam molestias. Reiciendis ut provident tempora dolorem vero. Atque alias pariatur harum odit eligendi labore ut. Incidunt velit sapiente nobis odio animi ab error.

Accusamus sed omnis tenetur commodi recusandae qui. Non quo et neque nostrum itaque omnis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”