Firstly, are you the guy that keeps saying people are wrong and that firms don't pay Cravath scale while more and more people actually are proving that they are right? Evidently, since it's "word-of-mouth" from your end, you aren't in a WS or MC firm, so what you basing your evidence on? Hearsay of hearsay from a friend?

Secondly, we're discussing a particular case (i.e. the senior assoc from NY Manhattan) not the general SG-qualified lawyers looking to jump in from Big4 etc, which may entail PQE cuts. Why are you talking about SG-qualified lawyers when we're giving advise to someone from NY (and from the tenor of his question - that he's already in biglaw or midsize in NY)?

In case you didn't know, Cravath scale firms do pay COLA and the same salary if you move to SG from NY. Admittedly, this particular person said that this is not possible as his firm is not in SG, but the int firms do pay match overseas associates that they feel are outstanding enough to recruit to SG, and do tend to pay Cravath (less tax) if you're already from a peer US firm.

If this SA is good enough to be looking at Cravath scale firms in SG, and has a reasonable shot of being accepted, then it also follows he will be afforded a Cravath scale package. Even SG lawyers going to Cravath firms get Cravath transatlantic rates at worst, or PQE cut but full pay.