Macfarlanes has hiked pay for its newly qualified lawyers by £10,000, becoming the first major UK firm to increase salaries in 2026.
NQs at the firm will now receive £150,000 per year – up from the £140,000 rate it set in 2024, and in line with the salaries paid in London by top UK firms including Freshfields, Clifford Chance, Linklaters, A&O Shearman, and Slaughter and May.
