Further salary boost for DLA Piper's regional NQs

DLA Piper's regional NQs" />DLA Piper is preparing to boost the salaries of its regional newly qualified (NQ) lawyers for the second time in six months.

This will bring the total rise for the year to 11 per cent in the English regions and 12 per cent in Scotland.

As reported on www.the lawyer.com (22 June), the firm hiked pay for City NQs by 19 per cent in the summer, taking their salaries up to £63,000.

Meanwhile, their counterparts in the English and Scottish regions saw increases of just 4 per cent and 3 per cent respectively, up to £36,500 and £33,000.

But as of next January salaries will rise again, with NQs in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield taking home at least £39,000, with the actual sum payable expected to be higher.

In Glasgow and Edinburgh NQs will see their salaries rise to at least £36,000.

The increases, which will affect 90 NQs when they come into force, are still subject to salary reviews in each individual office, with final recommendations due to come before the board. That said, while the firm may decide to hike NQ salaries further, it has said it will not offer less than these figures of £39,000 or £36,000.

London salaries will remain unchanged until June 2008. According to a source at DLA Piper, the firm did not give regional NQs the full salary increase in one go because it would have meant first year-qualified lawyers would have been earning more than their second year counterparts.

In the US DLA Piper NQs earn $135,000 (£65,200), with those in New York, Chicago, Washington DC and the West Coast taking home $160,000 (£77,270).