Associates at White & Case's London office have been grumbling after discovering that they are being paid less than their more junior colleagues.

The firm pays all associates up to four years PQE on a lockstep basis - salaries increase automatically with every year of qualification. The already handsome paypackets became even more alluring earlier this year when the firm announced that it would be increasing salaries across the board. Hurrah. Associates were told that the increase would come into effect when they had their annual salary reviews.

All well and good. But White & Case has two intakes each year. The (presumably unintended) consequence of this is that March qualifiers have recently had their salaries reviewed, with pay rises being given in line with the new, increased, pay bands. But September qualifiers have to wait until the autumn before their salaries are reviewed, meaning that a number of them are now being paid less than more junior March qualifiers six months behind them.

It's a bit of a first world problem - ultimately there'll be more money around for everyone. But it has caused much irritation internally, with one insider commenting that "I am now being paid less than my less qualified colleagues (never mind peers at other firms) despite being beasted just as hard as any other US outfit".

    Left to right: a trainee, an NQ and a partner at White & Case

A spokesman for the firm said it was "committed to paying salaries to its lawyers that are competitive in the market. In London, our salary review process is one in which salaries are reviewed annually. For junior associates, the timing of this review is based on the date of their qualification, and increases follow from that date.

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