Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has confirmed associate salaries under its new merit-based pay scheme, with newly-qualified (NQ) lawyers set to make at least £65,000 – £3,500 more than those at rival magic circle firms.

The firm has outlined salary ranges for all four of its ‘milestone’ pay bands, which came into effect from the start of this month and which replace the previous system of paying associates based on how many years post qualification experience (PQE) they had.