Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe have become the latest firms to announce how many of their spring 2015 qualifiers they are set to retain, with BLP seeing its rate slip from 89% in 2014 to 70% this year.
BLP made offers to 15 trainees in its intake of 20, of those 14 accepted, giving the firm a retention rate of 70%. This was a significant drop from the 89% it recorded in spring 2014 – though the firm saw a similar number qualify, 16, with the higher retention rate partially generated by a smaller initial cohort of 18 trainees.
In March 2013, BLP also kept on 14 trainees but due to a larger intake had a retention rate of just 64%.
Those looking to qualify at Orrick had different fortunes with 100% being retained of its small spring cohort. All four of its trainees are accepting newly qualified (NQ) positions at the US-headquartered firm.
A round-up of the 2015 retention rates revealed thus far:
Addleshaw Goddard: 2 out of 4 (50%)
Allen & Overy: 43 out of 46 (93%)
BLP: 14 out of 20 (70%)
Clifford Chance: 41 out of 45 (91%)
Freshfields: 41 out of 48 (85%)
Herbert Smith Freehills: 39 out of 42 (93%)
Linklaters: 49 out of 54 (91%)
Mayer Brown: 3 out of 5 (60%)
Orrick: 4 out of 4 (100%)
Osborne Clarke: 8 out of 9 (89%)
Reed Smith: 12 out of 13 (92%)
Slaughter and May: 37 out of 42 (88%)
Trowers & Hamlins: 9 out of 11 (82%)
White & Case: 13 out of 13 (100%)
This article first appeared on Legal Business’ sister publication The Lex 100
Daniel.coyne@legalease.co.uk