What the 57 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 | Specialist | 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 |
| McDermott Will & Schulte | US Firms | £65,000 / £70,000 | £179,000 |
| 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 |
| King & Spalding | US Firms | £62,000 / £67,000 | £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 | ~£60,000 / £65,000 | ~£173,100 |
| Latham & Watkins | US Firms | £60,000 / £65,000 | ~£173,077 |
| Vinson & Elkins | US Firms | £60,000 / £65,000 | £173,077 |
| Fried Frank | US Firms | £65,000 / £70,000 | ~£173,000 |
| Morgan, Lewis & Bockius | US Firms | £57,500 / £62,500 | £173,000 |
| Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe | US Firms | £60,000 / £65,000 | £170,000 |
| 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 |
| Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld | US Firms | £60,000 / £65,000 | ~£167,000$225,000 |
| 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 |
| 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 | ~£56,000 / £61,000 | ~£150,000 |
| Slaughter and May | Magic Circle | ~£56,000 / £61,000 | ~£150,000 |
| Baker McKenzie | US Firms | £56,000 / £61,000 | £145,000 |
| Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer | 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 | ~£55,000 / £60,000 London · £35,500 / £39,000 outside London | ~£140,000 London · £84,000 outside London |
| Norton Rose Fulbright | International | ~£56,000 / £61,000 | ~£140,000 |
| Reed Smith | International | ~£53,000 / £58,000 | ~£135,000 |
| Simmons & Simmons | International | ~£56,000 / £61,000year 1 / year 2, London | ~£130,000London |
| Travers Smith | Silver Circle | ~£55,000 / £60,000 | ~£130,000 |
| Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | Silver Circle | ~£55,000 / £58,000 London · £33,000 / £37,000 Manchester | ~£125,000 London · £72,000 Manchester |
| 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 London · £43,000 / £45,000 Bristol · £33,000 / £35,000 Manchester, Sheffield and Scotland | ~£120,000 London · £76,500 Bristol · £68,000 Manchester, Sheffield and Scotland |
| Eversheds Sutherland | International | ~£53,000 / £58,000 London · £36,000 / £39,000 outside London | ~£120,000 London · £80,000 outside London |
| Mishcon de Reya | International | ~£52,500 / £57,000 | ~£110,000 |
| Pinsent Masons | International | ~£54,000 / £59,000 London · £35,500 / £38,500 regions · £26,000 / £28,000 Belfast | ~£109,000 London · £69,000 regions · £48,000 Belfast |
| Watson Farley & Williams | Specialist | ~£51,000 / £56,000 | ~£107,000 |
| Addleshaw Goddard | International | ~£52,000 / £56,000 London · £33,000 / £37,000 Leeds and Manchester · £29,000 / £33,000 Scotland | ~£100,000 London · regional NQ not published by the firm |
| Bristows | Specialist | ~£49,000 / £52,500 | ~£95,000 |
| Kennedys | Specialist | ~£43,000 / £46,000 | ~£85,000 |
| Greenberg Traurig | US Firms | £55,000 / £60,000 | Not published by the firm |
| Paul Hastings | US Firms | £60,000 / £68,000 | Not published by the firm |
| Stewarts | Specialist | 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 August 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.