Elite New York firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has raised its associate base salaries 10% to $160,000 (£81,000), in a move that looks likely to spark another pay war in the US.

The rise, which comes at an unusual time of year, was announced internally yesterday (22 January) and sets a new bar for associate pay rates at New York’s leading firms, which previously sat at $145,000 (£73,400).