Shoosmiths to boost NQ lawyer salaries to £97k in London, £63k in regions

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By Legal Cheek on

18

Take effect in November

UK money
Shoosmiths has confirmed newly qualified (NQ) lawyer salaries will increase this year to £97,000 in London and £63,000 in the regions.

This equates to an 8% increase for those in the City, where rates currently sit at £90,000, and a 5% bump from £60,000 for those elsewhere in England.

NQs in Scotland and Belfast will also see their pay increase to £57,000 and £37,500 respectively. All uplifts take effect this November.

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

Chair Kirsten Hewson said:

“At Shoosmiths, we’re known for being a great place to work, with bright, engaged, high-performing teams that deliver excellence for our clients. Cultivating that positive environment starts with ensuring our junior colleagues thrive and excel. We are very pleased to offer a salary increase as a part of our holistic approach to developing our lawyers, affirming our dedication to training aspiring solicitors in a culture that’s supportive and ambitious.”

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List indicates that the firm offers around 36 training contracts each year and recently launched a solicitor apprenticeship programme, with its first intake this September. You can find more information about Shoosmiths’ solicitor apprenticeship programme over on our Solicitor Apprenticeship Most List.

18 Comments

Fairs

Fairs

Rupeet

Chicken poo.

Jim

Apparently a great place to work too. I like their swanky new Birmingham office.

Anonymous

Always found it interesting where firms don’t match in Scotland to rest of England. Edinburgh is significantly more expensive than most places outside of London.

US Lawyer

Imagine being an NQ in Belfast on £37,500…

Scottish Qualified

Because plenty of Scottish lawyers still put up with it, so they can get away with it.

That’s why I left Scotland on qualification. Salaries are a joke in Scotland and behind English regional salaries (often with lower living costs than Edinburgh) and far, far, behind London.

I basically doubled my NQ salary moving to London, and I’m at a fairly relaxed firm.

anon

Shoosmiths has that kind of money?

In-house Ivan

What says in-house teams in banks/financial institutions? Any rises expected soon?

Sweat Shop Steve

Ivan, why would a shoemaking firm cause in house salaries to rise?

Rolling in it

This should put real pressure on the ‘international’ firms with a presence in the regions

Shoezone LLP

Not even 100k and punted down the line to November… jesus

Smith of shoos

November is the annual pay review and salary increase window.

It’s the same time every year

Simon

Shoosmiths breathing heavily down Slaughters’ neck.

Go on

Go on Shoosmiths my son!

Mike P

If you’d have told me 5 years ago Shoosmiths would pay 100k I’d have laughed.

That was MC salary in 2021.

2026 predictions following rate of growth

MC on £180k
US elite on £200k
Shoosmiths on £1.35m

Really Poorly Compensated

Respect

Sss

Shoosmiths earn more WFW. Well at least as an NQ. Whats going on lol

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