Law firms Shearman maintains NQ salary gap with Magic Circle as pay rises 6% to £88,000 while trainees get 15% boost Legal Business · 27 May 2015 · 2 min read Pay Salaries A&O Shearman The first US firm to release its London salaries for the new financial year, Shearman & Sterling has maintained the salary gap it holds over Magic Circle rivals, offering newly-qualified lawyers (NQs) £88,000 a year, £5,000 more than in 2014.Your limit of 1 article in 30 days is up. Please login for full access or subscribe. Corporate users - click here for simple access (no password needed). For more information, please contact [email protected] Related ContentMore in this categoryA&O Shearman reshuffles executive board with three newly elected partnersLaw firmsKate Peacock13 May 2026‘The centre of gravity for Southeast Asia’ – why PE investment is making Singapore increasingly attractiveLaw firmsKate Peacock8 May 2026A&O Shearman, McDermott, Paul Weiss become latest major firms to cut staffLaw firmsKate Peacock7 May 2026‘Setting ourselves up for the future’ – McDermott ups London trainee pay to £70kLaw firmsElisha Juttla1 Nov 2024Slaughter and May matches magic circle peers with NQ pay hike to £150kLaw firmsTom Cox4 Sep 2024‘At the top of UK associate compensation’ – McDermott hikes London NQ pay to $225kLaw firmsElisha Juttla26 Jul 2024‘After Lehman collapsed, salaries still went up’: Magic Circle NQ pay rises as market coolsLaw firmsHolly McKechnie17 May 2023Time for a reality check on salariesLaw firmsNathalie Tidman28 Apr 2022‘US firms have more buying power’ – Allen & Overy tight-lipped as partnership ushers in lockstep reformLaw firmsNathalie Tidman26 Oct 2020