Clifford Chance ups salaries to match rivals

Clifford Chance ups salaries to match rivals" />Clifford Chance has raised its London newly qualified solicitor (NQ) salaries by almost 5 per cent to £66,600 per annum from £63,500, outstripping NQ salary increases at magic circle rivals Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters.

The salary increases of 4 to 4.88 per cent take effect up to the three-and-a-half year post qualification experience (PQE) level.

The one year PQE salary at Clifford Chance will increase from £66,000 to £68,700.

Two year PQE associates are on £82,200 up from £79,000.

Three year PQE associates have seen a hike to £89,500 from £86,000.

Three-and-a-half year PQE salaries will increase to £92,600 from £89,000.

Trainees have seen similar raises, with first year trainees now on £37,400 from £35,700 and second year trainees now earning £42,200.

Across the board this translates to an increase of around 4 per cent.

It is understood that senior associates with higher PQE will see increases of roughly 2 per cent only.

The salary increase sees Clifford Chance NQs draw level with Linklaters, which upped its NQ salaries by 3.9 per cent to £66,600 (as reported on TheLawyer.com 30 April).

The Clifford Chance NQ increases are also around double the NQ salary increases at Freshfields this year (as reported on www.thelawyer.com 6 May). Freshfields NQs will earn £66,000, which is marginally less than their Clifford Chance counterparts after an increase in salaries of only 1.5 per cent up from £65,000.

However, Freshfields' and Linklaters' one year PQE associates receive £73,000 and £70,400 respectively, both of which is more than their Clifford Chance colleagues who are on £68,700.

At the two year level too, Freshfields and Linklaters associates take home more: £86,000 and £82,600 respectively, compared to Clifford Chance's equivalent £82,200.

At the three year level Freshfields and Linklaters associates now receive £92,000 and £90,800 respectively, compared to £89,500 at Clifford Chance.

Clifford Chance associates are eligible for a bonus of up to 40 per cent.