Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has become the second Magic Circle firm to post a high retention rate keeping on 82% of junior lawyers.
The firm made offers to 38 qualifying trainees out of the total August 2012 intake of 45, of which 37 lawyers accepted.
The figure is slightly higher than the spring 2014 retention rate, when Freshfields kept 80% of junior lawyers, totalling 35 out of 44. In 2013, the firm posted an 81% retention rate, down eight percentage points on 2012, keeping 39 of its 48 trainees.
Freshfields’ most recent trainee retention rates follow solid rates at Linklaters, which kept on 93% of qualifying trainees in its summer cohort, up on the 86% spring 2014 retention rate. The Magic Circle firm made offers to 54 of 57 qualifying trainees, with 53 lawyers accepting a position, up on the 50 trainees in a 56 lawyer cohort that were kept on earlier this year.
Of the spring 2014 qualifying trainees, Clifford Chance retained the highest number of trainees, offering roles to 45 of 48 lawyers, or 94%.
Jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk
