DLA Piper hands NQs £20k raise - moves them to £130k

DLA Piper has raised newly qualified (NQ) solicitor salaries in London to £130,000 - a £20,000 boost that puts the firm ahead of rivals including Ashurst, CMS, Simmons and Travers Smith when it comes to junior pay.

The increase marks an 18% jump and will take effect from September. The firm also announced trainee uplifts, with London first- and second-years now set to earn £52,000 and £57,000, respectively.

Outside London, NQs will see a 9.3% rise to £82,000, with regional trainee pay also rising to £35,500 and £39,000.

DLA is headquartered in London, but has UK offices in Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool and Edinburgh.

UK managing partner Andrew Dyson said: "We are making a significant investment into our people in the UK, recognising the importance of the UK legal market as a focus for growth within our international strategy. We are delighted to enhance the rewards to newly qualifying solicitors at a level that reflects the high performance of our firm in the UK."

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The move certainly feels like a statement of intent from DLA, following recent hikes from rivals including CMS, which bumped London NQ pay to £120,000 last week, and Hogan Lovells, which lifted its own rates to £140,000 in May.

For now at least, it also leaves the likes of Ashurst and Travers Smith playing catch-up. Ashurst pays £125,000, with Travers offering £120,000, despite both firms being considered to be nearer the top of the market.

See our City law firm salary table for where things stand.