Nabarro and Fieldfisher have kept on a high number of trainees this month with the latter firm retaining 100% of its intake, while Trowers & Hamlins posts a lower rate of 64%.
Nabarro’s 100% trainee retention rate earlier this year was not repeated, but the firm has maintained a high standard keeping 81% of total trainees, with offers to 14 from a total of 16 and 13 accepting. Ten of the firm’s trainees were kept on in London with the remaining three in Sheffield.
The firm kept on all eight of its City newly qualified lawyers in January and was preceded by a 94% retention rate last September, when 17 from a total of 18 trainees were kept on.
Similarly, Trowers & Hamlins also follows high expectations, but announced a much lower retention rate today (6 August), keeping on seven out of eleven trainees or 64%. Trowers retained 100% of its trainee intake in March 2014 (a total of six) and in 2013, the firm had an overall trainee retention rate of 95%.
Trowers & Hamlins partner and training principal Tonia Secker said: ‘On behalf of the entire firm, I want to congratulate these excellent trainees. They have all worked very hard over the last two years, and it is a great pleasure to be able to offer them permanent roles. We look forward to continuing to work with them and support them as they establish their careers in the law.’
But while both Nabarro and Trowers hit a 100% trainee retention rate in the spring, Fieldfisher has become the latest law firm to keep on an entire cohort in August, keeping on all eleven newly qualified lawyers – albeit from a reduced intake size.
The firm, which runs an annual cohort, kept on disputes, IP and regulatory lawyers, while retaining three newly qualified lawyers in its finance and technology, outsourcing and privacy practices. However the overall intake is still lower than last year, when the firm retained 12 of 17 newly qualified lawyers, which gave it a 71% retention rate.
Edward Miller, Fieldfisher’s training principal, said: ‘It is fantastic news for our newly-qualified solicitors and for the firm. It is a testament to the high quality of the Fieldfisher trainees and underlines the confidence across the firm’s practice areas for their future growth.’
Jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk
