Linklaters awards pay rise and bonus to associates
01 May 2009
Linklaters is giving all staff a bonus of £1,500 - and is the only firm in the Magic Circle to be giving its associates a pay rise. However, there will be a pay freeze for non fee-earners.
The firm has confirmed that its associates will move up to the next PQE salary band. The pay awarded in each band has been cut, but the result is still a small pay rise. For example, a lawyer who qualified in September 2007 and who is currently on £70,400 will move up to £73,000 this autumn:
| Qualification |
2008 Level |
2009 Level |
| 1st seat trainee |
£37,400 |
£37,400 |
| NQ |
£66,600 |
£61,500 |
| 1PQE |
£70,400 |
£68,000 |
| 2PQE |
£82,600 |
£73,000 |
| 3PQE |
£90,800 |
£85,000 |
Lawyers will get an increase of between 2% and 4%: less than they might have hoped for but better than nothing. And as well as the £1,500 bonus, there will be an additional bonus for exceptional performers, although a spokeswoman for the firm conceded that the pot would be smaller than last year. The rise makes Linklaters the highest paying firm in the Magic Circle, albeit only just, and not at all levels. Lawyers at Freshfields will make two grand less than at Links at 1PQE, but salaries are even at 2PQE and up by a grand at 3PQE - and lawyers at
Freshfields won't see half their mates lose their jobs, either.
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Linklaters: cuddly |
There was bad news for business support staff, however, all of whom have had their salaries frozen. The firm denied that this was evidence of a "them and us" culture, and said that it merely reflected the fact that much more was expected of its associates with each passing year's qualification. Hmmm... someone who's worked hard in BD for a year isn't of more value now than 12 months ago?
On the upside, there will also be a small additional bonus available for senior non fee-earners who have performed exceptionally.