Major law firm to pay newly qualified Scottish lawyers £61,000 after 'bold' hike

Pinsent Masons, the global legal firm with three offices in Scotland, has ramped up its rewards package for entry-level lawyers by boosting starting salaries to the tune of £16,000.

The move means that newly qualified lawyers offered positions in Scotland will receive salaries of £61,000 - a 35.5 per cent increase on existing levels.

Pinsent Masons last year offered positions to 16 newly qualified lawyers north of the Border, 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.”

The new salary levels will take effect from September, with London newly qualified rates increasing by 22.6 per cent, from £75,000 to £92,000.

In a recent round of promotions Pinsent Masons, which in 2012 merged with long established Scottish firm McGrigors, 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.

Katharine Hardie, partner and chair of Pinsent Masons in Scotland and Northern Ireland: 'We are committed to attracting, retaining and nurturing the best young lawyers in the profession.' Picture: Ian Georgeson Photography

The firm said its “bold move” to significantly increase starting salaries signalled its intent to “attract the cream of Scotland’s next generation of litigators, advisors and dealmakers”.

In the last year, the firm has won a string of awards, including being crowned Law Firm of the Year at the UK’s Legal Business Awards.