A number of UK top 20 law firms have announced their associate salary levels for the year ahead, with several opting not to increase their rates.

Bird & Bird has reduced its pay bands for associates with between one and three years' post-qualification experience (PQE), while trainee and newly-qualified (NQ) salaries remain unchanged.

The City firm has taken £2,000 off each pay band between one and three years' PQE with levels now standing at £58,000, £63,000 and £69,000.

Trainee pay has remained at £35,000 for first-years and £37,000 for second-years, with NQ pay also static at £55,000.

The news comes at the same time as salary announcements at a number of firms that pay their associates based on merit rather than following a lockstep system.

Berwin Leighton Paisner has opted to raise NQ pay to £59,000, £1,000 more than last year's figure. Salaries for second-year trainees have been upped by the same amount to £41,000, while first-year trainee rates have remained static at £37,000.

Meanwhile, Simmons & Simmons, CMS Cameron McKenna and Pinsent Masons have all announced frozen rates from last year at NQ and trainee level.

At Simmons, NQs earn £59,000, while trainees are paid £36,000 during their first year and £40,000 in the second year.

NQs at Camerons will continue to earn £59,000 while first-year trainees take home £37,500 and second-year trainees £41,500, while at Pinsents, the rates are £58,000 for NQs and £36,000 and £39,000 for first and second-year trainees respectively.

The conservative stance on pay follows moves by a number of UK top 10 to increase their salary bands, including Clifford Chance, Allen & Overy and Slaughter and May, as well as Herbert Smith, Norton Rose and Hogan Lovells.