Norton Rose freezes NQ, trainee salaries

Norton Rose freezes NQ, trainee salaries" />Norton Rose has frozen salaries for all trainee solicitor and newly-qualified lawyers.

Trainee solicitor pay will remain static at £35,700, while newly qualified rates will stay at £63,500 after rising by more than 15 per cent last year.

The firm would not release salaries for associates above the newly-qualified level.

As reported by The Lawyer earlier this year, Norton Rose has scrapped PQE level pay and introduced a merit-based system with associates graded one to three (The Lawyer, 11 February 2008).

Associates will now be promoted to a higher band based on performance rather than years of service.

A firm spokesman would not comment on why the firm has not revealed associate salaries, but said 25 associates had been fast-tracked to a higher pay grade, adding: “We remain committed to stay competitive at all levels.”

Assessment for the associate grades is based on development and application of technical knowledge and skill, efficiency, business development, teamwork and ‘good citizenship’.”

As reported by The Lawyer, rival Berwin Leighton Paisner raised associate salaries by an average of five per cent, while Simmons & Simmons froze first year trainee salaries and upped its NQ pay by only £500 (The Lawyer, 12 May).