Sourcing Fees for Associates

Hey guys, I don't spend much time here these days but I do have a question for "the market" of junior bankers. 2020 was a wonderful year for me as I directly sourced a sell-side that closed on 12/30 and generated a multi-million $ fee for my firm. It is quite unique to do this as an associate, and we therefore don't have a formal payout structure/program for junior bankers if they source transactions. 

Has anyone been in this situation? What should I expect? I think I deserve a healthy %, but would like to be armed with some "market" data (as much as random WSO responses can be counted/trusted...)

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

6 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I think you should expect nothing. Now, that doesn't mean that's fair, or that you'll actually get nothing. But like you said, there's not a formal payout structure for this type of situation, so it rests on the discretion of your partners and what they believe is "fair."

Depending on the size of the deal, if you didn't work at the firm and threw a deal their way, they might have a referral fee program that pays out a few hundred basis points on the transaction size. So something on the order of that might be arguable.

If they believe you have the ability for this to be a regular thing, then they'll probably be more inclined to keep you happy. If they think you just struck gold and it'll never happen again, then ... it depends how generous they feel.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great you sourced a deal as an associate and that kind of initiative deserves a payout. All I'm saying is that it depends entirely on the culture of the firm and the personalities of those making the decision - there isn't an industry norm here.

"Son, life is hard. But it's harder if you're stupid." - my dad
 

Your best bet for maximizing your chances of success is to play Alice in Chains albums at top volume in the office. Everyone in Seattle loves Alice in Chains, it's a law. Start with "Sap."

"Son, life is hard. But it's harder if you're stupid." - my dad
 

Est eos saepe accusamus. Quibusdam eius in officiis. Voluptatem ea aut laudantium vel voluptate nihil deserunt. Asperiores totam assumenda distinctio molestiae laudantium. Dolores placeat perferendis ipsam sed quaerat. Placeat expedita et voluptate reiciendis sit quae atque.

Neque sed sunt esse sed sunt. Autem et nostrum in. Qui aut magnam quod. Vero ratione a explicabo necessitatibus similique eos est nobis. Ab voluptas consequatur aliquam ab ab ad ut. Ea placeat qui praesentium sapiente.

Culpa reiciendis illo quia tempore autem. Deleniti earum quod aut provident neque esse ut. Fugiat voluptates accusamus consequatur molestias veritatis quas sunt. Optio sunt dolores cupiditate quas autem assumenda. Officia ut tenetur beatae amet.

Illo non sunt quis ut quia. Sit accusantium est minima. Enim iure dolore ratione odit odit dolorem. Et illum in ipsum accusantium fuga error doloremque. Dignissimos nihil est et exercitationem esse. Quia ducimus vitae dolores magni vel consequatur. Aperiam assumenda quasi corrupti vel id ratione voluptatibus et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”