What the 49 firms on Folio pay their trainees and newly qualified (NQ) solicitors in London, in one table. Trainee pay is shown for the first and second year of the training contract; the NQ figure is the salary on qualification, before any bonus. Click any firm for its full profile, including deadlines, culture and interview format.
| Firm | Tier | Trainee (yr 1 / yr 2) | NQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quinn Emanuel | Boutique | N/A | £189,000 |
| Davis Polk | US Firms | ~£65,000 / £70,000 | ~£180,000 |
| Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher | US Firms | £65,000 / £70,000 | ~£180,000 |
| Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison | US Firms | £60,000 / £65,000 | £180,000 |
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher | US Firms | £60,000 / £65,000 | £180,000 |
| Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | US Firms | £65,000 / £70,000 | ~£178,000 |
| Skadden | US Firms | £58,000 / £63,000 | £177,000 + discretionary bonus |
| Sullivan & Cromwell | US Firms | £65,000 / £70,000 | ~£177,000 |
| Goodwin Procter | US Firms | ~£55,000 / £60,000 | ~£175,000 |
| Milbank | US Firms | £70,000 / £75,000 | ~£175,000$235,000 |
| Proskauer Rose | US Firms | ~£60,000 – £65,000 | ~£175,000 |
| Sidley Austin | US Firms | £60,000 / £65,000 | £175,000 |
| White & Case | US Firms | £62,000 / £67,000 | £175,000 |
| Debevoise & Plimpton | US Firms | ~£55,000 / £60,000 | ~£173,100 |
| Latham & Watkins | US Firms | £60,000 / £65,000 | ~£173,077 |
| Fried Frank | US Firms | £65,000 / £70,000 | ~£173,000 |
| Ropes & Gray | US Firms | £62,000 / £67,000year 1 / year 2, from Sept 2026 | ~£170,000 |
| Weil, Gotshal & Manges | US Firms | £60,000 / £65,000 | £170,000 + discretionary bonus |
| Morrison & Foerster | US Firms | ~£60,000 / £65,000 | ~£167,000 |
| Covington & Burling | US Firms | ~£60,000 / £65,000 | ~£165,000 |
| Dechert | US Firms | ~£55,000 / £61,000 | ~£165,000 |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton | US Firms | ~£62,500 / £67,500 | ~£164,500 |
| Cooley | US Firms | ~£55,000 / £60,000 | ~£157,000 |
| Baker McKenzie | US Firms | ~£56,000 / £61,000 | ~£150,000 |
| Clifford Chance | Magic Circle | ~£56,000 / £61,000 | ~£150,000 |
| Freshfields | Magic Circle | ~£56,000 / £61,000 | ~£150,000 |
| Linklaters | Magic Circle | ~£56,000 / £61,000 | ~£150,000 |
| Macfarlanes | Silver Circle | £60,000 / £65,000year 1 / year 2, from Sept 2026 | ~£150,000 |
| Mayer Brown | US Firms | ~£55,000 / £60,000 | ~£150,000 |
| Slaughter and May | Magic Circle | ~£56,000 / £61,000 | ~£150,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills | Silver Circle | ~£56,000 / £61,000 | ~£145,000 |
| Hogan Lovells Cadwalader | International | ~£56,000 / £61,000year 1 / year 2, London | ~£145,000London |
| Ashurst Perkins Coie | Silver Circle | ~£57,000 / £62,000 | ~£140,000 |
| DLA Piper | US Firms | ~£52,000 / £57,000 | ~£140,000 |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | International | ~£56,000 / £61,000 | ~£140,000 |
| Reed Smith | International | ~£53,000 / £58,000 | ~£135,000 |
| Travers Smith | Silver Circle | ~£55,000 / £60,000 | ~£130,000 |
| Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | Silver Circle | ~£55,000 / £58,000 | ~£125,000 |
| Winston Taylor | US Firms | £56,000 / £61,000 | £125,000raised from £115,000 in July 2026, the merged firm's first pay move |
| CMS | International | ~£50,000 / £55,000 | ~£120,000 |
| Simmons & Simmons | International | ~£54,000 / £59,000 | ~£120,000 |
| Eversheds Sutherland | International | ~£50,000 / £55,000 | ~£110,000 |
| Watson Farley & Williams | Boutique | ~£51,000 / £56,000 | ~£107,000 |
| Pinsent Masons | International | ~£52,000 / £57,000 | ~£105,000 |
| Addleshaw Goddard | International | ~£52,000 / £56,000 | ~£100,000 |
| Mishcon de Reya | International | ~£50,000 / £55,000 | ~£100,000 |
| Bristows | Boutique | ~£48,000 / £52,000 | ~£95,000 |
| Kennedys | Boutique | ~£43,000 / £46,000 | ~£85,000 |
| Stewarts | Boutique | Competitive | Competitive |
Figures are approximate London rates, drawn from the Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2026 and firm announcements, and verified against each firm's profile (most recently July 2026). Salaries change frequently, especially at US firms: treat the table as a guide and confirm current rates on the firm's own site.
NQ means newly qualified: the salary a solicitor moves to on the day they qualify, at the end of the two-year training contract. It excludes discretionary bonuses, which vary by firm and year.