As described in this article, closing access to salary info may lead to less of a lockstep approach to pay. And perhaps paralegals will also be paid for their performance, not simply years in the field:
"When Robert Tucker and 35 other partners jumped ship as Arter & Hadden was sinking in 2003, they wanted to leave behind the infighting about money that had pervaded some of the relationships at the now bankrupt Cleveland law firm.
"They had seen how flaps over pay could tear partners apart, Tucker said, and they hoped to eliminate the divisiveness that had plagued their former shop, which today is still mired in bankruptcy litigation.
"Opting for closed compensation when they formed Tucker Ellis & West, Tucker said that implementing a system where attorney pay is kept confidential — even among the partners themselves — was one of the smartest moves they made.
[snip]
"One of the greatest advantages of a closed system, say its proponents, is that it fosters collaboration instead of internal competition. Advocates of closed systems say that attorneys are more focused on the good of the firm — and are rewarded for promoting it — rather than getting ahead of the partner in the next office."