General counsel at the US’ top 100 corporations have seen their pay increase by 6% over the past year underlining the increasing financial status of the US’ most senior corporate counsel.

The survey by Corporate Counsel magazine of the US’ top 100 best-paid general counsel found that the average in-house legal chief earned $1.116m (£608,800) in 2003, up by 6% on 2002′s $1.053m (£574,400).