Regional commercial law firms are boosting salaries for newly qualified solicitors by more than 20 per cent as they battle to keep pace with the City pay war.
Researchers found that Osborne Clarke’s Reading office had increased salaries by £11,000 to £65,000 in just a year amid fears that heavyweight London legal practices will hire the cream of junior lawyers. Burges Salmon, a Bristol law firm, also increased pay for its newly qualified solicitors by 20 per cent to £60,000.
The figures for prominent regional firms came as Reed Smith became the latest City practice to raise its starting pay to £107,500. However, several US law firms in the Square Mile pay their first-year lawyers more, with Vinson & Elkins, which is based