Kirkland & Ellis has raised salaries for its newly qualified lawyers to £100,000.

The US firm last increased NQ pay in 2012, when it moved it up to £97,000. The jump into six figures, which took effect on 1 January, puts the firm level with Vinson & Elkins, which raised its NQ pay to £100,000 last December, Davis Polk, Akin Gump and Weil Gotshal, which also raised its NQ salary from £97,000 to £100,000 last year. Two other firms pay their NQs even more: Latham & Watkins (£101,000) and Sullivan & Cromwell, which just had to be 0.495% ahead, on £101,500.

    Rash, perhaps, but undeniably classy

News of Kirkland's rise comes a week after the firm's staff voted themselves the most satisfied with their pay in the UK in  RollOnFriday's Firm of the Year 2016 survey. Lawyers praised the "rock star" salaries and "huge" bonuses.

Eagle-eyed readers may spot a common characteristic among the members of the six figure NQ club, which is that all of them are US firms. Kirkland's £3k hike reinforces the gap between the American invaders and London's homegrown elite, currently led in the salary stakes by Allen & Overy, which pays NQs £78,500.
 
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