New York’s Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has emerged as the best-paying employer for junior lawyers in Italy, according to new research that shows US entrants putting significant pressure on local rivals to raise their salaries.

The €75,000 (£51,000) offered by the US-based firm is nearly double that paid by many of its rivals, including local leaders Bonelli Erede Pappalardo and Chiomenti and top London firms Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance.