US law firm Winston & Strawn has raised newly qualified (NQ) solicitor salaries in London to £160,000, a £10,000 increase from the previous £150,000. The firm has also boosted pay for first and second-year trainees by £1,000.
With this latest increase, Winston & Strawn now matches NQ pay rates at Jones Day and Orrick, both of which recently implemented similar salary hikes.
It also surpasses the Magic Circle firms, where NQ salaries remain at £150,000, according to the Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2025.
The move follows a broader trend among top US law firms in London, with Willkie Farr & Gallagher recently increasing NQ salaries to £170,000.
At the very top of the market, firms like Davis Polk & Wardwell, Gibson Dunn, and Paul Weiss now offer £180,000 to their newly qualified lawyers.
Winston & Strawn’s financial performance has been strong, with the firm previously making headlines for its £2.5 million profit per equity partner (PEP).
Meanwhile, other major US firms, such as Kirkland & Ellis and Reed Smith, have also reported record-breaking revenues and partner profits.
The legal sector has seen a wave of salary increases over the past year, with NQ pay rising by an average of 7.5% across top firms. Some have implemented pay rises of up to 20% as competition for top legal talent intensifies.
