Pinsent Masons and Wragge & Co have become the latest firms to confirm details of associate salaries for 2011-12, with both firms freezing rates for newly-qualified (NQ) lawyers in London.

NQs in Wragges' City base will continue to receive £58,000, while salaries for Birmingham-based NQs will increase by £1,000 to £38,000.

Pinsents, meanwhile, is holding its London NQ rate at £58,000, while regional NQ salaries have been frozen at £38,000 outside Scotland, and £36,000 in Scotland. The national firm would not provide details of salaries for more senior lawyers, as pay for lawyers with one or more year's post qualification experience (PQE) is based on merit.

News of Pinsents' and Wragges' decision comes after firms including Herbert Smith, Ince & Co, Linklaters and Allen & Overy opted to freeze junior pay bands for 2011-12, although lawyers will progress through the bands as normal.

In contrast, Taylor Wessing has increased associate pay bands across the board for the first time since freezing rates in 2009, with salary levels for junior lawyers increasing by at least 2%.

Newly-qualified pay at Taylor Wessing has risen from £59,000 to £60,000, while pay for lawyers with one year's post-qualification experience (PQE) is up from £63,500 to £65,000.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Slaughter and May are among the other UK firms to have announced marginal associate pay rises for the year ahead, with both firms increasing the levels of their salary bands by 2%-3%.