Quinn Emanuel raises London NQ pay to £189,000 amid intensifying salary competition

Dimitar Dimitrov is a content and engagement coordinator at LawCareers.Net

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Law firm Quinn Emanuel has increased salaries for its most junior lawyers in London to £189,000, following a 5% pay rise for the 2026 financial year. Effective from 1 July 2026, the firm’s London office is said to align with pay increases at its US counterparts, according to City AM.

The uplift will be applied across all associate levels. Newly qualified (NQ) lawyers will see their salaries rise from £180,000 to £189,000, while those with one year’s post-qualification experience (PQE) will earn £205,000, surpassing the £200,000 threshold.

More senior associates will also benefit, with salaries rising to £231,000 at two PQE, £273,000 at three PQE, £289,000 at four PQE, £305,000 at five PQE and £320,000 at six PQE. Lawyers with seven PQE and above will earn between £331,000 and £373,000.

Quinn Emanuel’s London senior partner Richard East said: “We maintain our own salary scale in this marketplace and pay people in pounds sterling, but our aim is to retain the top litigation talent in London. We have increased our salaries across the board to ensure that we remain at or above the top of the market.”

The move follows a salary increase for the firm’s US associates, where newly qualified lawyers in the class of 2026 will earn $225,000 (£166,957). Based on current exchange rates, London-based NQs at Quinn Emanuel will now out-earn their US counterparts.

The pay rise comes amid ongoing competition among elite law firms to attract and retain talent, particularly as US firms continue to drive up salary expectations in London. Mishcon de Reya LLP has recently introduced performance-related bonuses tied to additional working hours as part of efforts to remain competitive.

Managing director at legal recruitment consultancy Major Lindsey & Africa, Ria Karnik, commented: “Now that Quinn has defined how the pay increases will impact their London associates, I wouldn’t be surprised to see other members of the £180,000 NQ club follow suit.

“This move will also up the ante on the magic circle. Eyes will begin to fall on the increasingly glaring pay discrepancy at this level, which sits around £40,000. If this does prompt a fresh NQ pay war, we could expect movement across the whole market.”