HFW and Bird & Bird become latest firms to up NQ lawyer pay

£100k and £98k

HFW and Bird & Bird have become the latest City law firms to increase the salaries their most junior associates.

Rates from newly qualified (NQ) associates at HFW have moved from £95,000 to £100,000, an uplift of just over 5%. Bird & Bird, meanwhile, has upped pay by 3% from £95,000 to £98,000.

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List shows HFW recruits around 18 trainee each year while Bird & Bird takes on roughly 21.

“Combined with our bonus, our compensation package is significantly more generous than our competitors for strong performers,” said Corrin Kaye, chief people officer at HFW.

“But compensation is just one factor in what makes people want to join and stay with a firm, and we always aim to take a broader view by offering the best possible combination of rewarding work for market-leading clients, a friendly and supportive environment, good work-life balance, and opportunities to develop,” she continued.

Meanwhile, a statement from Bird & Bird read: “Although pay is important, at Bird & Bird, our culture is also central. We rank highly in the City as one of the best law firms to work at and that’s a combination of our commitment to fostering an inclusive culture and the cutting-edge nature of a lot of the work our lawyers do.”