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White & Case raises NQ pay to £175k

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By Sophie Dillon on

64

17% increase for newly qualified solicitors in London


Global mega firm White & Case has raised salaries for its newly qualified (NQ) lawyers in London from £150,000 to £175,000, as part of the wave of above-inflation pay rises sweeping corporate law.

The New York head-quartered outfit has also upped UK trainee pay from £56,000 to £62,000 in year one and £61,000 to £67,000 in year two.

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows that the NQ rise brings White & Case in line with other elite US firms Goodwin Proctor and Sidley Austin, and slightly below Gibson Dunn, Akin, Fried Frank and Milbank, which pay NQs between £177,500 and £180,000 in London.

The big difference between White & Case and these firms is that W&C offers 50 TCs a year in London, while the others offer between four and 15 training places. So today’s news has wider market significance and could prompt movement on pay from UK-headquartered firms with similar trainee intake sizes to White & Case.

Today’s White & Case rises follow similar moves by rivals in recent months and brings the firm ahead of other big London US players such as Vinson & Elkins, Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins.

Meet White & Case and 60+ other top law firms at Legal Cheek’s 3 September UK Virtual Law Fair

As well as NQs, junior associates at White & Case are also seeing a bumper salary raise, with first year post qualified lawyers being upped from £158,500 to £185,500, and second-year PQE lawyers upped from £171,000 to £200,000.

A spokesperson for White & Case stated that:

“Following discussions with partners, we are increasing legal salaries in London, including for trainees, underlining our position as the leading global law firm.”

Salary increases at the firm will go live from 1 January 2025.

64 Comments

SayLess

Diamond of the First Water ….

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(20)(1)

Rupert 🇺🇸

Now that’s some serious chicken!!!

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(0)(0)

Big, but 1 Jan?

This is big. Especially considering they take on so many trainees.

But why the delay until 1 Jan? Seems weird.

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(43)(2)

General Melchett

So they can shell some staff before they give the survivors the pay-rise.

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(58)(4)

They love 1 Jan

They’ll announce it now so they appear to be above the MC going into the recruitment window whilst maintaining their practice of increasing salaries every January. Good publicity without upsetting the normal cycle.

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(24)(1)

CRS NQ

They may have the pay but they’re not bronze circle like us CRS punks with our 97.5k NQ wedge.

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(17)(3)

Actual CRS

Stop trolling you fish breathed punk

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(12)(3)

There's only the MC and SC

There ain’t no “bronze circle” lol

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(27)(5)

Anon

Does anyone know what CRS are raising to in their regions? Guildford and Cheltenham

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(4)(1)

CRS insider

Regional pay is 57k also it’s not true about certain London teams getting 110k, all London NQs gone up to 97.5k.

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(0)(3)

Anon

If this is true for CRS then AG and the shed have to increase. its getting embarrassing now.

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(0)(0)

CRS

Supposedly going up to £75k regional

Reply Report comment
(7)(2)

no bronze circle

what is CRS?

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(16)(1)

CRS

£110k for NQs in Corporate teams or TTS at CRS 😉 (though officially ‘no one knows’ yet lol)

Reply Report comment
(3)(3)

Manuel Noriega's Legal Team

Strong raise but White & Case are an odd one. Where would people place them in terms of peers? I sort of see them as a more profitable (because of their US presence) version of Ashurst & HSF – i.e., a very good firm but in that bracket below the international “elite”.

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(28)(30)

Bruto37

Hmm maybe but I think they’re just more finance/disputes heavy than the corporate behemoths, but equally elite within those sectors. Much of their profits come from London and ME as opposed to the US.

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(34)(2)

3 musketeers

All 3 (W&C, Ashurst & HSF) are top quality!

As Bruto37 said, they’re not elite in M&A (tho Ashurst once were a quality corporate group). All 3 still do solid M&A work though, they are just less frequently seen on “mega deals”. For projects (energy & infrastructure), banking & finance, restructuring, disputes etc. they strongly compete.

Reply Report comment
(18)(1)

HSFFs

They’re all great firms, although I’m not sure I would rank Ashurst & HSF as quite competing with W&C. W&C is very much top or near top of the global leaderboard for quite a few of its practice areas (e.g. capital markets, project finance, restructuring, IArb etc) – admittedly I left HSF a couple of years ago, but I don’t think we could quite claim to be there yet. Hopefully on the horizon though!

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(35)(2)

Lol

I think the numbers in the article probably speak to their relative market position…

Reply Report comment
(14)(3)

Top whack

Not really, W&C just have the advantage of being a US firm and is just more profitable de facto…

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(5)(16)

Pepper, Pepper & Bayleaf LLP

Even if that is true, the non-Kirkland, PWs, Latham, Magic Circle etc. of the world still do quality work. Those 3 are pretty relevant firms who COULD reach those heights.

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(7)(1)

Bland & Case

Great wedge for such a meh law firm

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(18)(45)

Astigmatism 9000

Great whack, but would like to see reform to the bonus structure – need to hit 2300 for 30%… Compared to other firms where hitting lower targets might give you a higher bonus %

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(22)(0)

Applaud them

👏🏾

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(4)(1)

C

Who’s rising next thats non MC/SC/US firm ??

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(0)(6)

Blimey.

A trainee intake of 50 potentially offering £175k salary to each NQ? Blimey.

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(28)(1)

Orca

We’ll have to wait and see the retention rates at W&C, could be a blood-bath…

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(14)(2)

Lol

Little bit awkward now…

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(5)(0)

Surprise

Current NQs are still on £150k, lets see the next round post-£175k…

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(2)(0)

Fgy

Is AG or SH rising next ?

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(3)(5)

lol

Why’s legal cheek gone all fancy all of sudden??

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(4)(2)

Hllli

Will shed or AG rise next?

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(2)(1)

I’ve done this for a decade

US firms salary bunch too, including W&C. There’s a misunderstanding from students and trainees that Cravath means only the NQ rate translated at conversion from USD to sterling, but Cravath actually means the significant rises in between bands as well, together with bonuses. Dechert for example is 145, 145, 150, 165 etc. and you can say that’s an odd one, but it’s not, it’s just public info and the others are private and people don’t want to out themselves. Typically, but not always, it’s rarer to see people post 3,4,5,6 PQE in US firms as well due to pyramid structure. Also, it’s good money, but ultimately after tax and cost of living, you charitably will be saving about 55k annual living as lawyer in London. Assuming 100k after tax and 45k CoL (2k monthly rent, 1.8k bills, council tax, shopping, holidays, dining out, transport etc). Average turnover is typically 2-3 years.

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(7)(3)

I've not done this for a decade

Interesting comment. Is the 1.8k bills meant to be yearly or monthly? It seems to be very cheap for the former and absolutely extortionate for the latter. You might be including council tax but I assumed not as you also listed it. Just interested as to what people normally pay. Back of a fag packet but ours monthly work out as gas/elec (100), phone bill (20), wifi (30), water (30).

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(4)(4)

Anon US

This is not true… at places like K&E, Goodwin, Skadden etc, a top senior associate will be on GBP 320 – 350 (plus 100k automatic bonus for hitting hours, with the potential for higher bonuses for exceeding other targets). There is no bunching – just google “Cravath scale 2024”

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(2)(1)

Ok

They clearly that that some firms did it and/it was common. They didn’t say no firms did it. I’m not actually 100% Goodwin do by the way, they might but not sure. Since they don’t publish pay unless you work there, you’re speculating unless you know people at various firms who can confirm. I know people at Goodwin and that’s why I’m noting that I’m not sure because I don’t recall they did a year or two ago, but I’m not going to message them out of the blue demanding to know their salaries.

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(0)(3)

Goodwinite

I confirm Goodwin London pay Cravath scale (or very close to it) fixed at GBP in line with above comment

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(0)(0)

Thinkpad

Don’t know if that’s true. You have to really spell it out, because of innocent misinformation. Most trainees fixate only on NQ. While it appears you refer to all salary bands, at many firms, you just don’t know what other people are on. It may be there is a firm email which notes bands and pay, but usually that doesn’t happen. Claiming to know what everyone is on either means you genuinely know or you’re full of hot air, and it’s more usually the latter. If you’ve worked there for a while, have gone up pay bands or other people have divulged internally with some believability or if you’ve seen an internal pay scale, OK

Bystander rubbing hands fervently

Finally! Been a long time coming. Now we wait and see which US firm on 150k raises next. Cooley, Jones Day, Covington, Dechert? All bets are on.

Reply Report comment
(11)(1)

East London Associate

Dechert actually announced a pay rise to its associates last week. It’s apparently because they were struggling to hire off vacation schemes and laterally as the pay has been stagnant for a couple of years (losing talent to the other US firms who were quicker to move past the150k mark). They’ve been very hush about the rise internally though, as probably not to piss off the business service professionals whose pay rise evaluations have all been postponed for this year.

NQ salary is going to be 165 (up from 145). I’m not sure on all the bands inbetween, but sounds like there’s still going to be crazy bunching though as 2PQE will be £170 (so NQ – 165, 1PQE 165, 2PQE 170).

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(10)(1)

Interest

What’s the bunching like? And does bonus only start at 1900 hours?

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(0)(0)

W&C NQ

No bunching here – clear cut pay bands. Hugely impressed with these numbers. They hold out on increasing but when they do, they don’t mess around.

NQ: £175,000
1PQE: £185,500
2PQE: £200,000
3PQE+: “Discretionary”, but guessing around £215,000ish and increasing £15,000-£20,000 per year.

Standard bonus kicks in at 1,800 hours.

Reply Report comment
(28)(1)

Frustrating to read

That’s somewhat bunching and not Cravath (in the sense Cravath has any meaning…it isn’t simply the NQ rate ffs), although this is market and expected. These firms typically increase in 10-15k increments. If they don’t disclose, it’s worse than that IME. I like how the pay rise is 10k and 14.5 and then you jump to the conclusion it’ll be 20k for the years you don’t know. It’ll likely continue be in the 10-15 range, and closer to 10 for most, closer to 15k for those in a particularly profitable team which is susceptible to a very liquid market. I say that based on working for a couple of peer firms where people on LC exclaim they pay Cravath. Yeah at NQ. But they’ve been increasing in 10k increments since time began at a 45% tax rate (plus NI deductions) despite inflation. The value of the remaining 5k now and 5-10 years ago is not the same. It’s the same thing with a government keeping tax brackets static which is of course a tax increase. Only stupid people don’t understand this.

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(4)(25)

Fellow NQ

To be fair, OP didn’t say anything about Cravath scale. Nor did he/she say that increases will be 20k.

Nobody asked for a lesson in the time value of money or taxation.

Probably best not to imply people are stupid without knowing a single thing about them. Rather revealing about your character.

Reply Report comment
(29)(2)

You’re not as clever as you think

No, its non Cravath and pay bunching in line with MC and other US firms, and just because a bunch of moronic NQs are fapping themselves silly to the NQ figures, it is fair and reasonable to note that the pay rises between the bands are fairly inconsequential. The concept of pay bunching is basically being stuck on the money you came in on. And with 5k after tax increases per year, given you’re only there on average 2-3 years, it is closer being described as pay bunching as wetting your knickers over consequential raises between the bands.

Calling someone stupid is always unwise in the internet, although I’m not sure that poster did – but I agree that stupid people say stupid things and clever people say clever things, and I don’t think your post or the original are clever by way means. In fact I think you’re full of it, which is why I responded.

Where I disagree with the other poster is their failure to acknowledge that the rate is still very good and very good across the board. At the NQ end you can’t get better, and at the junior end generally. Most US firms are paying similar or worse now, and it likely silents lateral transfers for a 10-20k pre tax uplift at Kirkland etc., particularly when you consider bonus eligibility etc. At least at the junior end. That poster’s failure to acknowledge the actual positive news and focus on the negative makes them look a bit miserly. Although I don’t mind taking a swipe at dull myopic NQs myself either.

WC 3

I’m not sure where you’re getting your information but it’s a pretty open secret that the rise is 15-20k per year

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(6)(1)

JB

Still considerably lower than proper Cravath. You’ll be lucky to see increases in the discretionary bands at more than GBP 10k a year, and the standard bonus you speak of is only 10% (again, far lower than Cravath rates).

This is no secret, the full Cravath salary grid is available online. This is just the typical attention-grabbing fattening of the NQ rate to give applicants, trainees and NQs an ego boost. The best will still end up at a proper elite US firm, not a Mid-Atlantic wannabe.

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(7)(16)

Slap my Legal Cheeks

This comment is completely correct but for the final sentence. That sentence aside, I feel like a lot of people are just focusing on NQ pay, and not on anything thereafter. The W&C comment is above is a joke, and the dislike to like ratio on some of the comments is mental. It’s literally like oh they pay market at NQ, it’s Cravath, party guys! And they raise by more than 5k each year, no bunching here friends! Happy days!!

The last sentence is wrong though as there’s a wide distribution of talent at all firms. K&E has a lot of terrible associates, and goes on hiring sprees and will take almost anyone, then they sack off people when it’s a bit quiet. Often it’s just hours billed, team you’re in.

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(2)(0)

My Neck Hurts

Why have Legal Cheek applied such extreme italics to the comments?

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(9)(1)

Marc

McDermott to 180k

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(3)(4)

Will Emery

Why are people downvoting this? Are they unhappy McDermott associates are getting paid more?

The story is on legal business for those who are interested. Going cravath from 1 Jan

Reply Report comment
(2)(1)

In-house market

What does this mean for those in-house in financial institutions? Can they expect raises anytime soon?

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(2)(1)

Curious trainee

So 62-67k is the new baseline for trainee salaries at the highest-paying firms? I assume Latham, Kirkland etc will follow pretty soon, in that case.

But this actually raises an interesting point regarding further pay rises for these firms. I doubt they can (well, they *can*, but will) actually raise NQ salaries because they already pay Cravath to their London NQs. Surely raising London salaries above US levels would cause quite a ruckus in their head offices… I wonder what they will do over the next 2 or so years.

Reply Report comment
(9)(1)

Milly

I would also like to know about this- would US firms potentially raise above cravath in the years to follow, when considering the city pay war?

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(2)(3)

Rosey

What’s going on at NRF?

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(4)(2)

NRF associate

They raised their NQ to 120k relatively recently. Can’t see any movement until next April at the earliest..

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(7)(0)

Orca

The idea that NRF is comparable is laughable

Reply Report comment
(18)(2)

Curious

Any updates on trainee salaries at NRF? Will they match their consortium counterparts?

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(0)(7)

National Retail Federation

£120k is good enough given how mid NRF is lol

Reply Report comment
(12)(8)

Anon

Anyone at Skadden know what they’re doing? They’re now lagging quite a bit behind supposedly less prestigious U.S. firms.

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(2)(3)

Arps Arps Arps

What’s going on at Skadden in general?? Seemingly wiped from LC’s “most list”, have they stopped giving out TCs? Saw someone post on here a while ago that they’re focussing on the US market… wonder that means for the UK staff(?)

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(6)(4)

Joe

Not the case. One can only speculate as to why they’re not on the List, but it’s clear – from Grad Rec’s LinkedIn and the firm’s lateral hires in late 2023 and early 2024 – that they’re growing the London office, not retrenching.

Trainee hires have in fact risen and are set to continue rising over the next few years as Skadden expands its London office. Next year’s cohort should be around 20 large; expect similar numbers in 2026.

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(6)(1)

Joe

Not the case. One can only speculate as to why they’re not on the List, but it’s clear – from Grad Rec’s LinkedIn and the firm’s lateral hires in late 2023 and early 2024 – that they’re growing the London office, not retrenching.

Trainee hires have in fact risen and are set to continue rising over the next few years as Skadden expands its London office. Next year’s cohort should be around 20 large; expect similar numbers in 2026.

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(2)(0)

Partner of partner

I heard Skad Arps is re-structuring & scaling out of Europe but hush hush for now..

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(2)(1)

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