Bird & Bird has held its trainee salaries at the current level, the latest in a long list of firms to keep pay the same amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Trainees at the firm earn £44,000 per annum in their second year, having increased from £40,000 in their first year.
The decision comes just over a month after the firm put salary reviews on hold, with management deciding to split bonuses in half – awarding the first instalment in May and the remaining later in the year.
A percentage of quarterly profit distributions were placed in reserve, created to sustain the business for the duration of the crisis.
While promotions have been put on hold for employees, the firm did announce a new round of partners in May, making up seven across London and Continental Europe.
Few firms have cut trainee pay, though several have deferred its September trainee intake. HFW has taken the decision to defer its intake by over six months, with future trainees receiving a £5,000 deferral payment. Future starters at DLA Piper have been offered up to £10,000 to defer for 12 months.
Herbert Smith Freehills, DWF and Irwin Mitchell have also deferred trainees for six months, while Hogan Lovells has kept trainee pay the same for its second-year class.
