Market topping pay 💷
Davis Polk has set a new record for trainee solicitor salaries in London.
The US firm recruits around five UK trainees each year and now offers a salary of £65,000 in year one, rising to £70,000 in year two. These previous sat at £60,000 and £65,000, respectively.
These increases have set new records for entry-level pay in the City, with the improved second-year rate surpassing even the salaries offered to newly qualified (NQ) associates at some outfits in London.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2025 shows fellow US firm Paul Hastings offers second-year trainees a salary of £68,000, while White & Case provides £67,000 for those in the latter half of their training contracts. Elsewhere, a host of other firms offer £65,000, including Akin, Gibson Dunn, Jones Day, Kirkland & Ellis and Morrison Foerster.
Upon qualification, Davis Polk’s new recruits see their salaries swell to an eye-watering £170,000. The highest NQ salaries currently available are offered by Gibson Dunn and Paul Weiss, both providing a very substantial £180,000.
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