Trainee pay bumped up too
US law firm Winston & Strawn has announced a £1,000 salary increase for its first and second-year trainees, along with a substantial £10,000 boost for newly qualified (NQ) solicitors in London, bringing NQ pay to £160,000.
The firm, which takes up to two London trainees each year, previously paid NQs £150,000.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2025 shows that the £10k uplift puts W&S juniors ahead of their peers at the Magic Circle (all offering £150k), and matches the NQ rates at Jones Day and Orrick, which rose to £160k just weeks ago.
Legal Cheek reported last year on the firms turning their top lawyers into millionaires, with W&S making the list thanks to a staggering £2.5 million profit per equity partner (PEP). In more recent financial headlines, fellow Chicago-based firm Kirkland and Ellis posted record-breaking revenue and PEP, alongside US rival Reed Smith.
This latest NQ pay rise follows a similar move just weeks ago by US firm Willkie, which boosted London NQ salaries to £170k. Last year, NQ salaries rose by an average of 7.5%, with some firms increasing pay by up to 20% before bonuses.
At the very top, London NQs are earning £180,000 at Davis Polk & Wardwell, Gibson Dunn, and Paul Weiss, which only launched its London training contract last year.
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