Serious money!
US law firm Quinn Emanuel has increased salaries at its London office, with newly qualified (NQ) associates now earning a record-breaking £189,000.
The firm previously offered NQs £180,000 but has raised this by a further £9,000 — a 5% increase. The UK rises follow Quinn Emanuel’s decision yesterday to lift US associate pay in response to similar increases rolled out by Milbank and McDermott Will & Emery.
The commercial litigation specialist has also raised pay by 5% across all associate levels in London, with those at one and two years’ post-qualification experience now earning £205,000 and £231,000 respectively.
Quinn Emanuel does not currently offer UK training contracts, so today’s salary increase could be seen as a tactic to poach top qualifying talent from rivals.
The firm’s London senior partner Richard East said:
“We maintain our own salary scale in this marketplace and pay people in pounds sterling but our aim is to retain the top litigation talent in London. We have increased our salaries across the board to ensure that we remain at or above the top of the market.”
The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2026 shows Quinn Emanuel pays newly qualified associates £9,000 more than previous market leaders Davis Polk, Gibson Dunn, Paul Weiss, and Willkie, all of whom currently offer £180,000.
You can view the increases in full below.
| Level | Old Salary | New Salary |
|---|---|---|
| NQ 2024 | £180,000 | £189,000 |
| NQ 2023 | £180,000 | £189,000 |
| 1 PQE | £195,000 | £205,000 |
| 2 PQE | £220,000 | £231,000 |
| 3 PQE | £260,000 | £273,000 |
| 4 PQE | £275,000 | £289,000 |
| 5 PQE | £290,000 | £305,000 |
| 6 PQE | £305,000 | £320,000 |
| 7 PQE and above (off scale) | £315,000–£355,000 | £331,000–£373,000 |