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The latest NQs - aka the home-schooled cohort


Macfarlanes, Herbert Smith Freehills and White & Case are the latest firms to announce their trainee retention results for the spring. 

Trainees set to qualify this spring started at their firms as the first UK lockdown loomed in March 2020. Many have had to impress their supervisors with limited, if any, face-to-face contact. And bonding with colleagues has been by way of quizzes on Zoom, swapping banana bread recipes on WhatsApp, or attending remote twerking sessions, possibly*.

Macfarlanes has scored a perfect retention rate of 100% as it is keeping all six of its qualifying trainees. Congrats to Macs. The firm has had a stellar run during the pandemic, posting a score of 88% last autumn and 100% last spring.

“Our trainees are the future of the firm and we look forward to continuing to support them in their careers at Macfarlanes," said Jat Bains, the firm's graduate partner. "We are really happy to have retained all our trainees in this cohort”.

It's a good showing too for Herbert Smith Freehills, which is retaining 24 out of its cohort of 29, posting an 83% retention rate. The firm retained 97% in autumn 2021 and 93% last spring. 

White & Case has also fared well and matched Herbies' 83%, retaining 19 out of its cohort of 23 qualifying trainees. The US firm had a retention rate of 78% last autumn and 82% last spring.

“White & Case provides training which equips our lawyers with the skills and experience to advise leading global clients on their most important, complex, cross-border matters,” said White & Case partner Inigo Esteve, who heads the trainee solicitor programme in London. 

If your firm has yet to release its retention rates, but you know the results, send in the details anonymously.


* That may have just been one firm
 

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