A rundown of the impressive partner profits at the country’s leading outfits
Top law firm partners are strutting around with more than a little pep in their step — and now we know why.
These powerhouse partners don’t just attract high-profile clients; they drive some of the most profitable work for their firms, earning substantial rewards in return.
Drawing on figures provided by firms, sourced online, or from the latest publicly available data, we take a peek into the impressive earnings of partners at over 100 UK law firms.
While ‘profit per equity partner’ (PEP) doesn’t represent an exact earnings figure for each partner — some partners may earn substantially more and others less — it offers a useful snapshot of the financial rewards up for grabs.
Not all partners at a firm are equity partners; some receive a fixed salary, often enjoying a better work-life balance. Additionally, some firms, such as Slaughter and May, do not disclose their PEP figures, so these have been excluded from our final list.
It’s no surprise to see the London offices of certain US firms topping the PEP table, with some partners earnings of as much as £6 million a year — and you thought NQ salaries were impressive! Elite UK firms, including those in the Magic Circle, cluster around a very respectable £2 million.
Curious how your dream firm stacks up and what you might earn if you reach partnership? Check out the rundown below:
You can view all our salary data, including rates for trainees and newly qualified lawyers, on our 2025 Legal Cheek Firms Most List
Top of the PEPs: How much are equity partners earning?
| Law firm | Profit per equity partner |
| Kirkland & Ellis | £6,190,000 |
| Paul Weiss | £5,100,000 |
| Sullivan & Cromwell | £4,900,000 |
| Davis Polk & Wardwell | £4,840,000 |
| Gibson Dunn | £4,400,000 |
| Latham & Watkins | £4,300,000 |
| Paul Hastings | £4,200,000 |
| King & Spalding | £4,160,000 |
| Milbank | £3,990,000 |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton | £3,600,000 |
| Sidley Austin | £3,600,000 |
| Weil Gotshal & Manges | £3,600,000 |
| Ropes & Gray | £3,500,000 |
| Fried Frank | £3,450,000 |
| Debevoise & Plimpton | £3,200,000 |
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher | £3,150,000 |
| Vinson & Elkins | £2,890,000 |
| Dechert | £2,790,000 |
| White & Case | £2,744,000 |
| Cooley | £2,700,000 |
| Macfarlanes | £2,600,000 |
| Goodwin | £2,500,000 |
| Winston & Strawn | £2,500,000 |
| Akin | £2,470,000 |
| DLA Piper | £2,440,000 |
| Orrick | £2,400,000 |
| A&O Shearman | £2,200,000 |
| Hogan Lovells | £2,200,000 |
| Morrison Foerster | £2,110,000 |
| Freshfields | £2,090,000 |
| Clifford Chance | £2,000,000 |
| Linklaters | £1,900,000 |
| Mayer Brown | £1,870,000 |
| Greenberg Traurig | £1,800,000 |
| Katten Muchin Rosenman | £1,700,000 |
| Squire Patton Boggs | £1,600,000 |
| Baker McKenzie | £1,500,000 |
| Ashurst | £1,340,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | £1,320,000 |
| Eversheds Sutherland | £1,300,000 |
| Travers Smith | £1,300,000 |
| Reed Smith | £1,240,000 |
| K&L Gates | £1,127,000 |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | £1,100,000 |
| Simmons & Simmons | £1,100,000 |
| CMS | £977,963 |
| Addleshaw Goddard | £909,000 |
| Taylor Wessing | £900,000 |
| HFW | £855,000 |
| Pinsent Masons | £793,000 |
| Shoosmiths | £781,000 |
| Osborne Clarke | £771,000 |
| Walker Morris | £740,000 |
| BCLP | £735,000 |
| Bevan Brittan | £735,000 |
| Stephenson Harwood | £725,000 |
| Clyde & Co | £708,000 |
| Bird & Bird | £703,000 |
| Dentons | £670,000 |
| Withers | £670,000 |
| Charles Russell Speechlys | £661,000 |
| Farrer & Co | £600,000 |
| TLT | £600,000 |
| Watson Farley & Williams | £593,000 |
| Irwin Mitchell | £571,000 |
| Wiggin | £571,000 |
| Womble Bond Dickinson | £551,000 |
| Forsters | £550,000 |
| Ashfords | £507,000 |
| Bristows | £500,000 |
| RPC | £490,000 |
| Burges Salmon | £470,000 |
| Mills & Reeve | £470,000 |
| Kingsley Napley | £466,000 |
| Birketts | £425,000 |
| Gowling WLG | £420,000 |
| Trowers & Hamlins | £400,000 |
| Weightmans | £391,000 |
| Penningtons Manches Cooper | £390,000 |
| Wedlake Bell | £372,000 |
| Howard Kennedy | £362,000 |
| Stevens & Bolton | £360,000 |
| Cripps | £358,000 |
| Bates Wells | £344,000 |
| Shakespeare Martineau | £320,000 |
| Foot Anstey | £264,000 |
| RWK Goodman | £246,000 |
| Brabners | £196,250 |
You can view all our salary data, including rates for trainees and newly qualified lawyers, on our 2025 Legal Cheek Firms Most List
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