Hot on the heels of Milbank breaking the long freeze and kicking off the 2026 pay war stateside, London litigation powerhouse Quinn Emanuel has cranked up its associate pay by 5% across the board.
Effective 1 July 2026, newly qualified lawyers in the firm’s City office will now take home £189,000 (up from £180k), with the scale climbing briskly from there: £205k for 1 PQE, £231k for 2 PQE, and on up to £331k–£373k for the more seasoned warriors.
London senior partner Richard East (pictured) said that the firm is determined to stay at or above the top of the market to retain top litigation talent — and they’re happy to pay in proper pounds sterling to do it.
London Out-Earning the Yanks (For Now)
The move means Quinn Emanuel’s fresh-faced London associates are now outpacing their US counterparts on the new Milbank-led scale. In the US, first-years are landing at $225k — roughly £167k at current rates. Nice work if you can get it, but the City is winning this round.
As recruitment consultant Ria Karnik of Major Lindsey & Africa noted, this could force the Magic Circle and the rest of the £180k NQ club to sharpen their pencils. Eyes are already turning to that glaring £40k-ish gap.
The salary wars, it seems, are officially back on — and associates everywhere are the happier for it. More movement expected.
