Paralegals and professional support lawyers at Slaughter and May will receive a bonus this year of just 3%, despite the rest of the lawyers at the firm pocketing a 15% boost under the firm's recently introduced scheme.

Slaughters' new system (see story) will see a flat-rate bonus of 15% of salary paid to all fee-earners; however, paralegals and professional support lawyers are not included in this category. The magic circle firm confirmed they will receive just a fifth of this amount, taking home just 3%.

The rest of the lawyers across the firm will be paid a bonus of 15% at the end of the year under the new structure announced at the firm last month, as the firm moves to keep pace with its rivals. The bonus is not related to firm performance and will be reviewed again next year. Slaughters was previously one of the few major City firms not to pay a firm-wide bonus.

The pay review also saw Slaughters raise its salaries for newly-qualified lawyers by 15%, up from £54,000 to £60,000. Two-year qualified lawyers will receive an increase of £5,500 to £73,000.

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