Whopping 25% increase 😲
Simmons & Simmons has raised the salaries of its newly qualified (NQ) associates in Bristol by over 25%, setting a new pay record in the process
Fresh-faced associates will now earn a hefty £96,000, a 25.5% increase on the previous £76,500 figure at the firm’s Bristol office.
Taking effect from May 2025, the new salary figure puts Simmons’ NQs thousands of pounds ahead of their rivals at other leading firms in Bristol. Osborne Clarke boosted its NQ pay up by 2.8% last summer to £72,000, with Burges Salmon following suit in October 2024, raising NQ rates from £68,000 to £72,000. Newly-qualified lawyers at RPC’s Bristol office are paid £56,000.
Simmons’ trainees in Bristol receive £47,500 in their first year, increasing to £49,500 in their second. In London, Simmons NQs can expect a £120,000 pay packet whilst trainees see £52,000 and £57,000 respectively in their first and second years at the firm.
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2025 shows that Simmons recruits around 24 trainees each year across its London and Bristol offices.
Caroline Turner-Inskip, head of Simmons’ Bristol office, commented:
“Making this move not only rewards our Bristol lawyers for their high performance levels, but also helps us to continue to retain and attract top talent in the years ahead, and develop our associate and partner pipeline outside of London. We want to be the number one destination for the best and most ambitious lawyers living in the area — or moving to the area from London — and see these changes as a really important part of this aim.”
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