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Pinsent Masons boost entry level salaries by 35% to attract the cream of Scotland’s young lawyers

Posted: 25th April 2022

International legal firm Pinsent Masons has significantly increased its rewards package for entry-level lawyers by boosting starting salaries by £16,000.

Newly qualified (NQ) lawyers offered positions in the firm’s three Scottish offices will receive salaries of £61,000 – a 35.5% increase on existing levels.

The bold move signals the firm’s intent to attract the cream of Scotland’s next generation of litigators, advisors and dealmakers.

Pinsent Masons last year offered positions to 16 NQs in Scotland with six based in Glasgow, five in Edinburgh, four in Aberdeen, and one opting for a London-based role.

Katharine Hardie, Partner and Chair of Pinsent Masons in Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: “As a purpose-led professional services firm we are committed to attracting, retaining and nurturing the best young lawyers in the profession and are willing to offer top of the market salaries to achieve this.

“Our Scottish teams play central roles in numerous national and international instructions which are part and parcel of working for a global firm with an extensive geographic footprint.

“We believe the opportunity to be based in Scotland and to work on high-profile mandates on behalf of many of the country’s leading corporates, combined with competitive salaries, agile working and our long-held commitment to gender equality and diversity and inclusion, is a compelling offer which will appeal to ambitious young lawyers starting out in their legal careers.”

In a recent round of promotions the firm promoted six Scottish-based lawyers to Partner, with three senior associates moving up to Legal Director, while Edinburgh-based solicitor advocate Jim Cormack, QC, was appointed Global Head of the firm’s 265-strong Litigation, Regulatory and Tax team.

In the last year Pinsent Masons have won a swathe of awards, including Law Firm of the Year at the UK’s Legal Business Awards and was named the most innovative law firm in Europe by the FT.

The new salary levels will take effect from September, with London NQ rates increasing by 22.6% from £75,000 to £92,000.

Business Comment

Business Comment is the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce’s bi-monthly magazine. It provides insight on Edinburgh’s vibrant business community, with features on the city’s key sectors, interviews with leading figures and news on new business developments in the capital.
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