White & Case has become the latest firm to increase salaries for London lawyers, with newly-qualified assistants at the firm now receiving £67,500.

The firm announced the 7% increase today, although the changes will take effect from 1 May.

A lawyer with one year's experience will now make £73,000 compared to £70,000, a two-year qualified will take home £82,500, up from £80,000, and a three-year qualified lawyer will make £94,750, up from £92,000.

The pay hikes put White & Case way ahead of its UK rivals which have set a benchmark of £55,000 for newly-qualified pay. However, it is still lagging behind US firms like Shearman & Sterling which announced a 20% rise for newly-qualified UK lawyers from £60,000 to £72,000.

Earlier this year, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton kicked off dramatic increases in London associate pay by raising its salary for newly-qualified lawyers in London from £74,000 to £85,000. The 15% increase meant its newly-qualified UK lawyers will receive more than £100,000 per year once bonuses are taken into account.

Bingham McCutchen has announced the highest salary so far with newly-qualifieds now making £87,900 a year.