Newly qualified solicitors at HFW now earn £103.5k as firms battle to outpay competitors
The race to win—and keep—junior legal talent just intensified. International law firm HFW has announced a 3.5% pay rise for its newly qualified solicitors, bumping base salaries from £100,000 to £103,500.
The hike, effective immediately, puts the firm back ahead of several competitors in the tightly packed £100k club and adds fresh fuel to what has become an increasingly fierce summer salary war across the City.
With this move, HFW leapfrogs rival Bird & Bird, which just this week upped its NQ rates from £98,000 to £102,000. The increase also places HFW ahead of other major players like Dentons and Stephenson Harwood, whose junior lawyers still sit at the six-figure mark.
However, HFW’s new figure falls just short of peers at Pinsent Masons and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, both currently offering £105,000 to their NQs.
HFW, best known for its specialism in shipping law, recruits 18 trainees annually across its UK offices, according to data from the Legal Cheek Firms Most List. Those who qualify for the firm’s ranks can now expect to walk into a starting salary that firmly signals HFW’s intention to stay competitive in a talent market growing ever more aggressive.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe summer of 2025 has already seen a cascade of pay hikes ripple through the legal sector, with a series of headline-grabbing increases shaking up the established order. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer rocketed its NQ salaries up to a staggering £145,000. Eversheds Sutherland boosted theirs to £110,000, while Ashurst and DLA Piper now offer £140,000 and £130,000 respectively.
For junior lawyers navigating career decisions in a volatile legal landscape, these numbers matter. Firms are no longer simply trying to match market expectations—they’re trying to outdo them. With inflation pressures, long hours, and talent poaching from international and US firms, the competition to offer the biggest and most attractive packages has intensified.
HFW’s latest decision signals its commitment to retaining top talent while protecting its standing among major players. In an industry where every thousand-pound difference could mean securing—or losing—the next high performer, the margins are becoming razor-thin.
Industry observers say the NQ salary war is far from over. As firms scramble to retain junior talent amid increasing expectations for work-life balance, career support, and flexible training, remuneration remains a critical lever. Many expect further raises across the City before summer is out.
For now, HFW’s move will likely force competitors—particularly those still sitting at the £100,000 mark—to reconsider their own pay scales if they wish to avoid a talent drain.
Whether these wage increases translate into long-term retention or just temporary bragging rights remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the scramble for newly qualified solicitors just got a little more expensive.