Prime Highlights :
- Mishcon de Reya raises NQ solicitor pay to £110,000, a 10% increase effective September.
- Trainee salaries also rise, with first years at £52,500 and second years at £57,500.
Key Facts :
- Mishcon recruits about 30 trainees yearly, now matching Eversheds Sutherland and Squire Patton Boggs pay.
- Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, Hogan Lovells and Katten have also raised NQ rates recently.
Background :
Mishcon de Reya has raised pay for its newly qualified solicitors, lifting rates from £100,000 to £110,000, a 10% increase set to take effect from September.
The London firm, having recently signed for a new headquarters, has also lifted trainee pay, with first years now on £52,500, up from £50,000, and second years on £57,500, up from £55,000.
Legal Cheek’s Firms Most List shows Mishcon recruits around 30 trainees each year. The new NQ pay rate puts the firm level with peers such as Eversheds Sutherland and Squire Patton Boggs.
Vanessa Dewhurst, partner and chief people officer at Mishcon de Reya, said the rises reflect the firm’s broader approach to reward, stating that the firm aims to pay fairly, competitively and sustainably as part of its core strategy.
She added that the firm reviews its remuneration package each year to match growth and attract top talent, and that the increases, alongside the additional bonus scheme, help reward both financial and wider contributions that build long-term value for the firm and its clients.
The pay rises follow an earlier announcement that associates, managing associates and of counsel can qualify for an added bonus if they work significantly beyond their standard hours.
The firm said the bonus, layered onto its existing high-performer scheme, aims to attract and keep top talent by rewarding effort, excellence and use of AI, particularly when clients need intensive support.
Several firms have raised NQ rates in recent weeks, including Baker McKenzie at £150k, DLA Piper at £140k, Hogan Lovells at £145k, and Katten at £135k.
