Both Clifford Chance and Linklaters have revealed they are keeping on 91% of their spring 2015 cohort with the firms holding on to 41 and 49 trainees respectively.
Clifford Chance made offers to 41 of its 45 trainees with all of them accepting. It was in line with the firm’s 2014 results which saw 45 out of 48 retained, but it marks a rebound from the firm’s autumn intake when 75% of the 53 trainees accepted a position.
Meanwhile, Linklaters also kept on 91% of its slightly larger 54-strong cohort. The firm saw 51 trainees apply to qualify with offers made to 49 of those, all of whom accepted. The figure is up on last year when 86% of trainees stayed with the firm while in autumn 2014 it managed 93% or 53 lawyers accepting a position from 57 qualifying trainees.
Nick Rumsby, partner at Linklaters, said: ‘We are delighted that we have been able to yet again retain so many of our extremely talented trainees, especially given that the number of trainees starting their training with us has remained consistent. This very good retention rate reflects both the confidence we have in our trainees and the levels of busyness within the firm.’
Slaughter and May also published its trainee retention figures this week with 37 of the 42-strong intake remaining with the firm. Rounding out the Magic Circle, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer retained 85% of its spring qualifiers while Allen & Overy (A&O) topped the grouping with 93% – though Linklaters kept on the most in absolute terms with 49 lawyers compared to A&O’s 43.
michael.west@legalease.co.uk