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News

More NQ solicitor salary increases in London

updated on 04 March 2025

Reading time: one minute

US firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP and global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright have both raised the salaries for their newly qualified (NQ) solicitors in London to £170,000 and £135,000, respectively.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher’s NQ solicitor pay is up from £165,000 (a 3% rise), and Norton Rose Fulbright’s is up from £120,000 (a 12.5% rise).

Trainee pay at Willkie Farr & Gallagher has also been increased, bringing the firm in line with other US firm’s in London. First-year trainee pay is up from £55,000 to £60,000; and second-year pay is up from £60,000 to £65,000.

Although Norton Rose Fulbright’s trainee pay remains unchanged, the firm has confirmed that NQs who “achieve the required hours” can now earn between £143,000 and £189,000, demonstrating its commitment “to providing competitive remuneration, through a combination of base salary, performance bonus and benefits”.

Throughout 2024, the average pay rose by 7.5%, with Gibson Dunn & Crutcher UK LLP and Paul Weiss continuing to dominant the top spot, according to Legal Cheek.