Freshfields fired the starting pistol for the increases in May, bolstering NQ pay to £100,000, while Linklaters became the last of the Magic Circle firms to match that rate yesterday.

Other firms to have increased pay include Hogan Lovells, where pay can now reach £117,000 for NQs, and Pinsent Masons which raised pay by £2,500 for NQs, from £70,000 to £72,500.