Herbert Smith Freehills has increased London NQ and junior associate salaries by between £1,000 and £2,000.

The raises came into effect on 1 June and mean Herbies is paying its juniors the same as Slaughter and May and more than Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance (and yet when it asks to be let in the Magic Circle, they ask for a secret password and mock its cat's bum logo). NQs and 2 & 3PQEs scored the biggest raises, of £2k, while first year trainees will receive an extra £500. Second year trainees are the only ones missing out. They will remain on £44k, and not grumble if they want a job at the end of it.

    A Herbies fourth seat trainee yesterday

It's been a tale of two continents at Herbies. In May last year, as London lawyers celebrated a 3% rise, Australian Managing Partner Jason Ricketts told his staff their pay was being frozen indefinitely because of "challenging market conditions". But just before London's latest raises were announced, sending belligerent Antipodeans steaming up the Thames, Ricketts lifted the freeze and said everyone would have their pay reevaluated by June. However Aussies' pay will continue to be assessed in the legacy Freehills style, individually on merit, so there is no guarantee Australian juniors will enjoy increases on a par with their London peers. Herbies in the City now pays the following (old pay in brackets):

  1st seat trainee
NQ
1PQE
2PQE
3PQE
 HSF  £39,500
(£39,000)
 £65,000
(£63,000)
 £70,000
(£69,000)
 £79,000
(£77,000)
  £89,000
(£87,000)
 Freshfields  £40,500
£67,500 to £77,500
£87,500 to £100,000 (up to 4PQE)
 Linklaters  £40,000
£65,000
£70,500 £77,500 to £82,000
£87,500 to £93,500
Slaughter and May
 £39,500
 £65,000
 £70,000
 £79,000
 £89,000
 Allen & Overy
 £39,000  
 £64,000
 £69,500  £78,500  
 £89,000
 Clifford Chance
 £39,000  £63,500  £69,500  £78,200  
 £87,800

Ian Cox, Managing Partner in the UK and US, said "These salary increases reflect our recognition of the important role our lawyers play in the success of the London office and the wider firm".

If your firm's changed its pay, please get in touch.
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