As UK firms' partnership promotion statistics start to flood in, RollOnFriday statisticians have been working out which firms offer the best chance of partnership.
 
Taking the numbers of partners promoted in the UK this year, along with firms' average annual trainee intakes, RollOnFriday has calculated the percentage of trainees likely to make partner in each firm's UK offices. And, while it's based on just this year's figures, it is not inspiring viewing for ambitious trainees aiming for the top.
 
Starting with the good news, there's a hearty pat on the back for Trowers & Hamlins which seems to offer the best shot at partnership by a country mile. Taking on around 15 trainees a year, Trowers promoted 11 lawyers to partnership this year putting the firm at the top of the table, with new trainees having a remarkable 73% chance of making partner based on this year's figures. Burges Salmon is also a relatively good bet for thrusting trainees who have a 31% chance of making partner. And third-placed Wragges, where trainees have a 25% chance, is not doing too shabbily.
 

Firm	Numbers made up in the UK	Approximate annual UK trainee intake	% chance of making partner
Trowers & Hamlins	11	15	73
Burges Salmon	7	22	31
Wragges	3	12	25

 

However Ince has the dishonour of being at the bottom of the pile so far, promoting precisely no one to partnership in the UK (although 5 were promoted in its overseas offices).
 
Ince aside, it's the Magic Circle firms that seem offer the worst chances of partnership. Despite taking on huge numbers of trainees, the high attrition rates (whether voluntary or forced) take their toll and only a tiny minority are currently making it to the top.

Slaughters promoted just two partners worldwide, one in the UK. With an annual intake of around 90, current trainees have just 1% chance of making partner based on this year's data. But it's not just this year either; the firm has promoted only 11 partners in total since 2009. Things aren't much better at Freshfields, where trainees have a 5% shot at partnership, nor at A&O, where there's a 6% chance.

Firm	Numbers made up in the UK	Approximate annual trainee intake	% chance of making partner
Allen & Overy	6	100	6
Freshfields	5	98	5
Slaughter and May	1	90	1
Ince & Co	0	15	0

  
In fairness, graduate intakes have grown over the last ten years and senior associates promoted this year are likely to have come from smaller recrutiment rounds, making the odds better. But with no major slimming down of trainee intakes on the horizon and consistently low levels of partner promotions each year, trainees shouldn't set their hearts on a corner office.
 
Here's a full breakdown of the partnership promotion stats, including numbers of women promoted.