BREAKING Freshfields NQ pay rockets to £150,000

_{Thank you I'll take it.}

Freshfields has raised salaries for its NQ solicitors from £125k to £150k, RollOnFriday can reveal.

The firm has also boosted trainee pay from £50k to £56k in year one, and from £55k to £61k in year two. the hikes are effective friom 1st May.

The significant raises were conveyed by the firm’s training partner to future trainees today.

“We recognise the importance of maintaining a distinct offering for our lawyers, in the experience of working here; the development opportunities, through training and work; and our pay and other benefits. As such, the firm has recently reviewed its trainee and associate pay”, said Craig Montgomery.

That’s £25k more than the rest of the Magic Circle – and you can bet they’ll follow suit.

In a statement, Mark Sansom, London Managing Partner, commented, “We’re committed to embedding a culture that supports our people to deliver their best, knowing their contribution is valued and rewarded. Being part of Freshfields means working alongside the best lawyers in the market and being fairly recognised for excellent client service on the most complex and high-profile legal work".

"This move follows a year of strong growth for the London business, thanks to the dedication of all our people. It also reflects our confidence in the firm’s continued market leadership across all our London practices, further boosted by the success of the material investments in the US and other markets”.

And it means the rest of the Magic Circle will have to catch up.

Let the pay war continue! And the pay bunching at senior levels!

Loading…

Comments

Perhaps someone could train the training partner to use English correctly. “As such” is not the same as “therefore”, but I suppose using it incorrectly makes you sound smarter, allows you to charge your clients more and therefore allows you to pay your useless NQs exorbitant amounts of money.

Despite their frequent rhetoric about the "dedication of all their people" and fostering a culture that values and rewards contributions, business services continue to be sidelined. While we don't expect anything like that level of remuneration, being recognised and valued would be help. Following the humiliation of Modernise, many of us work tirelessly, often matching fee-earners' hours to support clients, yet management's treatment remains profoundly disheartening, and BS will continue to vote with their feet.

Wonder how this will go down at White & Case, Dechert, Jones Day.

Agreed, @Wonder.

Widely accepted that W&C is a far better firm than Dechert or Jones Day - should be paying a good chunk more than them, in any event.

Whispers that W&C leadership in London is mortified by this. Planning to raise by at least 10% to keep traditional gap between big US firms and MC, and to offer a middle finger to FBD, of course. Unconfirmed, but wouldn't be surprised.

What we need from W&C is another breathtaking, in your face, because we can, £25K pay rise across all associate levels, like they did in October 2020.

Time to make a real statement and blow FBD out of the water.