Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has completed its overhaul of associate remuneration, with the firm set to align junior lawyer salaries with its new four-stage ‘milestone’ framework as of next year.

From May 2012, the magic circle firm’s associates will no longer be paid based on post-qualification experience, but will instead see their pay based on the firm’s new merit-based associate development system which was formally launched earlier this year.